KENYA: Green project provides alternative solution to drought

Record ID: 361206

  • Title: KENYA: Green project provides alternative solution to drought
  • Date: 14th October 2009
  • Summary: WOMAN COMING INTO WATER KIOSK TO ACTIVATE PUMPS VARIOUS OF WOMAN KEYING IN HER ID/WOMAN COLLECTING WATER (SOUNDBITE) (Swahili) YATTA RESIDENT PATRICIA MUTHIGE, SAYING "I just pay my bill here. All I do is top up my bill through Mpesa and water comes out. It costs almost nothing." GROUP OF PEOPLE COLLECTING WATER
  • Embargoed: 29th October 2009 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Kenya
  • Country: Kenya
  • Topics: Nature / Environment,Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA8VA9CV6M0XJH3DOU48BR5OVKF
  • Story Text: The 15,000 residents of Kalakuni village in eastern Kenya received on Monday (October 12) water, generated from a green and innovative scheme aimed at fighting drought in the country's arid areas.
    The project -- known as Electronic Water Project -- sponsored by Kenya's Red Cross, GRUNDFOS Lifelink and Safaricom has revolutionised the lives of the villagers, who can finally access water following years of suffering.
    "We have been having drought for 5 years now, and we have been fetching water from a river about 2 hours away but with this project here, we are benefiting," said Patricia Muthige, a resident.
    The 33,000 U.S. dollar project employs the use of electronic chips -- purchased for 115 Ksh each (1.5 U.S. dollars) -- to draw water.
    The key with a built-in micro-chip identifies the user through a pin number when used, and water comes out in litters as requested by the user.
    Users pay their water bills using mobile banking.
    "I just pay my bill here. All I do is top up my bill through Mpesa and water comes out. It costs almost nothing," said Jane Mwende, another local resident.
    Users can only purchase the e-water using e-money. Kenya's communication giant Safaricom carries out and monitors all transactions through each individual chip.
    The project operates entirely on solar power, where panels convert solar rays into electricity, which is used to pump water into a 10,000 litter water tank.
    "The sustainability in the water projects is the key for us. We provide a water system which is supposed to provide water for many years to come and by using the solar energy it's definitely one of technologies, which allows communities to fetch water in the future," said Lars Laursen, General Manager of GRUNDFOS Lifelink.
    Water problems are prevalent in Kenya; it is estimated that about 16 million of the population have no or little access to clean water.
    Seasonal rains are expected to start in November. But they are likely to bring only scant relief, and could even make matters worse by triggering floods that would destroy crops and homes, as well as increasing the spread of water-borne diseases.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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