Sumba Water Supply

Description What is done in the programme or project and why, what results are pursued, who benefits from the activities and who are involved in the implementation.

In Kaksingri valley in the nearby areas to Sumba West in Suba District, Kenya, there are today five boreholes for water. People who fetch water from these boreholes have increased as well as the consumption of water. There has occationally been some small fighting incidents for water close to the waterstations, mainly because of long queues. One of the boreholes is nearby the Rukongo Youth Polytechnic (RYP) since the mid 1980-ties. Water at this borehole is pumped with solarenergypowered waterpumps and is led to a tank where villagers are pumping water manually. Sumba village, at about 1,5 kilometers away, lacks its own well for water and the school children at Sumba School are carrying water from home to school, water which sometimes is of poor quality. This affects the health of the children and their possibility to concentrate and eventually on their school results. The cattle is walking up to 15 kilometers every day during dryseason to drink water. The area is very hilly has significant elevation differences, which is consuming energy and time to fetch water. Sumba area also lacks water places for cattle. For this purpose the villagers are today referred to the nearby Lake Victoria that lies at distance of about seven kilometers from the village. The long walk for water makes the livestock less productive. By drilling deep for water and building infrastructure for a couple of new waterstations as well as a drinkingplace for cattle, at about 1-1,5 kilometers from the closest borehole and uphills on the slope in the Sumba village, these problems may be solved for a long time. The borehole will according to the plan, be drilled close to the Sumba Primary School. Water will be pumped with solarenergy from the borehole to two diffrerent watertanks with handpumps, one on the school compound and the other one just next to the borehole, where the villagers can fetch water. The pupils may use water during daytime and also bring some along with them when they return home after the school day is over. Water is pumped with a handpump from one of the tanks and is led through a channel to a drinking place for cattle. Overflow water may also form from the pumpingplaces. Since water is pumped authomatically from the borehole as long as sun is shining (daylight) there might at times be an overflow. All overflow water will be led to a drinkingplace for cattle.