Families: 50

Before the new water well, families in Useni relied on stagnant, hand-dug pits shared with animals—including cows, monkeys, and hyenas. During the rainy season, fecal matter could wash into the water, leaving families with little choice but to drink from an unsafe source.

Accessing water was also costly. Families sometimes paid MK 6,000 for transportation to get water. With so much time and effort spent collecting it, bathing was a luxury. Residents said they would choose food over bathing, but today, families can bathe as many as three times a day.

The difference can be seen in the health of the community. Residents reported that there have been no cases of diarrhea in the past eight months.

Children are also benefiting. Before the well, only 40% of children attended school. Today, school attendance has reached 100%, giving children more freedom to learn and grow.

The well has also opened new opportunities for families to provide for themselves. Every household now has a garden, and residents are molding bricks and starting small businesses selling doughnuts, vegetables, and charcoal.

For Useni, access to water has meant more than a safer place to fill a bucket. It has given families greater freedom, improved health, supported children’s education, and created new opportunities to grow food and earn an income.