From Crisis to Empowerment: Kenya's Fight for Clean Water

By Erika Pietrzak, September 22, 2024

Environmental conflicts and climate change are exacerbating the already critical condition of water infrastructure in [Kenya].

Kenya is a water-poor country that struggles with water stability and reliability. Environmental conflicts and climate change are exacerbating the already critical condition of water infrastructure in the country. For more context, check out this article that we published earlier this year on Kenya’s water crisis.

There are many amazing organizations that are working hard daily to create change in water-impoverished areas, including Kenya. Kenya’s population is centered around Nairobi, its capital city, and is youth-heavy, like many African countries.

It takes immense effort from organizations like the following to combat the drying up of natural sources due to climate change and the lack of access to clean water. With climate change as one of the main factors contributing to water insecurity in the country, existing systems are strained more and more every day. Organizations like these are assisting communities in gaining agency over their water access and aiming for self-sustaining systems years beyond intervention. Youth across the world can create change in Kenya through several organizations, and many organizations have an abundance of opportunities for a global education for those outside of Kenya.

International Transformation Foundation

This summer, I had a unique opportunity to take part in the many efforts to create reliable, consistent water systems in the country. I have been a volunteer for the International Transformation Foundation (ITF) for the past year, where I have been fundraising for a drinkable water fountain at City Hall in Nairobi. ITF is a youth-centered non-profit that began in Kenya in 2010 before expanding to the US in 2022 to provide youth internationally a connection and international education. This trip was my first of (hopefully) many to come, and laid the foundation to connect the U.S. and Kenyan teams. 

Daily, ITF projects benefit over 200,000 people in Central Africa and involve more than 100 youth across several countries. ITF builds water fountains and water kiosks in water-impoverished areas while ensuring agency within the communities through inclusion in building, launching events, and running the kiosks. Partnering with organizations like Kendra Scott to host fundraising events, ITF is truly a grassroots organization looking for the average person to help out. If you are interested in joining the cause, check out www.itf-us.org.

Erika with members of the ITF USA and ITF Kenya teams at a water fountain they are rebuilding.

Engineers Without Borders

One of the focus projects for Engineers Without Borders (EWB) in Kenya is water supply and treatment. In Makueni County, for example, EWB aims to expand access to clean water and increase regenerative agricultural techniques. International involvement has been crucial to the success of their projects since their founding as an NGO in 2017. Working under the Vision 2030 national framework, EWB partners with national universities and local communities to tackle real-world problems with solutions that make sense for the affected communities.

Two of their three current projects are based around schools, an important location for many African communities. Their focus on hygiene and sanitation seeks not only to address issues of drinking water, but also of diseases and health shortcomings. If you are interested in joining the cause, check out www.ewb-kenya.org. 

Join The Pipe

Join The Pipe is an international organization building drinking water tap fountains throughout the world, including Kenya. Their original goal of decreasing plastic waste through reusable water bottles has combined with their goal of increasing access to clean, drinkable water. Specifically, their Water Kiosk initiative often partners with ITF to build water kiosks at schools that are far from reliable, clean water sources. Often being built at schools, these kiosks tackle the root of the problem by supplying children–who often have to walk to collect water–with clean water at their place of learning. Blue Pump initiatives at the organization also creates wells 100 meters deep with pumps at a low cost in rural areas.

Join The Pipe also has a Buy One, Get One initiative where individuals can buy a bottle made from sugarcane and give one bottle to someone in need. They also have a specific project in Nairobi called City Clean Up, in which they are enlisting volunteers to tackle the huge plastic pollution problem in the city through manual cleaning, educating the youth, and giving out reusable water bottles. If you are interested in joining the cause, check out www.join-the-pipe.org.

A water kiosk joint project between Join the Pipe and ITF.

Water is Life Kenya

Water is Life Kenya (WILK) is a nonprofit seeking to spark development in marginalized communities in Kenya through existing customs and culture. The organization focuses on women and youth empowerment and also works to create clean, reliable water access. With a community-centered approach, WILK began in 2005 and has reached more than 60,000 Kenyans. They specialize in the Maasai region of Southern Kenya and have thus far impacted 35 communities. Going beyond water projects, they seek to provide economic security through their Livestock as a Business initiative and elevate the roles of women in society.

An impressive retention rate of 82% (as compared to 35% global success rate), many of their projects continue to improve the lives of the people years after its implementation. Almost 2,000,000 hours are freed yearly at each well in Kenya as the community no longer has to find and bring back water. If you are interested in joining the cause, check out www.waterislifekenya.org. 

Clean Water Kenya

Clean Water Kenya (CWK) is an organization that helps provide clean water for the impoverished Kenyan communities in the Maasai and Kamba villages and within northeast Kenya. By providing portable water filtration systems, CWK is expanding access to clean drinking water within these marginalized communities. In addition to this, CWK provides educational programs in their work areas that focus on hygiene, sanitation, and waste management practices. By selling products on their website and collecting donations, they are able to give back to these initiatives. They recently began an Annual Run 4 Clean Water that raises funds for their projects, as well.

Their website says that just $35 can purify 60 liters of water for 5 years. Beyond just filtering, they also take donations for rain barrels so that communities can collect water in their own areas without having to find a natural source. If you are interested in joining the cause, check out www.cleanwaterkenya.com.

Change The Chamber is a nonpartisan coalition of over 100 student groups, including undergraduates, graduate students and recent graduates.