Empowering Women
New water wells will assure people can access safe and clean water more easily.
Clean water in Kenya means freedom for girls and women In Makueni County, Kenya, there is very little rain, and it falls in two short rainy seasons per year. With climate change, drought and water scarcity are common. Much of the population gets its drinking water from unsafe sources such as ponds, streams or unprotected wells. Typically it is women’s and girls’ responsibility to gather clean water and this means long walks and hours lined up in scorching heat, leaving them vulnerable to sexual assault and other dangers. PWRDF partnered with Utooni Development Organization (UDO) in a project to install 20 shallow water wells with hand pumps in Makueni County. The wells will supply clean water and cut down the distance and wait time for women and girls, keeping them safe and freeing up time allowing them to focus on other priorities such as earning an income or school. In 2020, more wells will be built, some with solar-powered pumps.
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