Safe Water for All, One Home at a Time
According to the United Nations Development Program, Kenya has a population of 50 million people, with 41 percent of them still reliant on unimproved water sources. This is a significant issue for Kenyan families living in poor urban areas and rural areas with inadequate access to water.
Approximately one hour west of Nairobi, Janice lives in a little village called Mwaiwai. Before then, she was one of the millions of people who rely only on unimproved water sources for their daily needs. Although her home is surrounded by beautiful open countryside, filled with long grasses and animals, it does not have access to running water or electricity.
Janice and her son realized that they needed a more affordable way of obtaining water to guarantee that their families and farms would survive and prosper. Through their bank, a local Stepping Up Water partner, the two were able to get financing for a rainwater storage tank and water connection.
For Janice, the loan from Equity Bank Kenya seems affordable, with a monthly payment of $18 for 36 months. A total of three rain storage tanks were purchased using the money. Water is plenty for them to use to cook, clean, feed, and water their animals, and they also have enough to plant a subsistence garden. These storage tanks will still have enough water to keep the home running when the rainy season is through.
Despite recent improvements, Kenya’s water and the sanitary situation remains critical. For the time being, Stepping Up Water is looking at new ways to extend our financial model to reach even more people with the information they need.
Thanks to your donations, more households like Janice’s will be able to select the water and sanitary solutions that are most appropriate for them, increasing access to affordable financing.
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