Borewells Project Success

We reported in April last year on club member Rev. Margaret Fowler’s visit to Kenya in March 2023 to see all the wells which our project in Kenya had provided in Embu.  She visited the Rotary Club of Embu (our local partners) to review progress on the borewells, and identify any other local needs which we could support.

As usual, she had a warm welcome at the Rotary Club of Embu, and members accompanied her on her trips to the borewell sites..

Inspiring International Fundraising

The original plan was to build six Borewells, but thanks to the inspiration of the Rotary Club of Billericay and the fundraising we did, the District Grant we obtained, and the generous support of our twinned Rotary Clubs in Europe, we were able to complete borewells in 10 schools, providing clean water to about 5,500 children each year. 

Not only that, but there is plenty of water for drinking and cooking, for washing classrooms, planting crops, and employing farmers to tend them. This makes very happy and healthy schools.

The amazing thing about this project was that the majority of the early work had been accomplished during the two years of Covid when we could not even meet.

Problems

In October 2022, the pump at ACK Karungu School had failed, and we released contingency money to replace that pump and repair the failed pump (to be a spare), but in the event, the pump was able to be repaired quickly and is now in use.   In addition, the water table at ACK Magaca had dropped so much due to lack of rain that the water had stopped flowing.  We released more money to dig through a deep hard rock layer to get it flowing again.

Margaret returned to Embu in May 2024 to review progress on the borewells, to visit the Rotary Club of Embu again, and identify specific actions needed to return any problem wells to full operation and long term viability.  As usual, members of the Rotary Club of Embu, accompanied her on her trips to the borewell sites. 

Although all wells were initially operational, a number of problems occurred which required our support:
Pumps needed to be repaired at: Ciamanda, Ndumari, Karungu, and Magaca.
In addition, special action was needed at:

• Kathari Primary School - the water table had dropped below extremely hard rock.  Extra funding was needed to cut through this rock.  Thanks to having water, this school is very different from the one Margaret knew a few years ago.”
• Magaca Primary School - The well had dried up because the drought has been so severe (no rain for six months) so it needed to be dug deeper.
• Ciamanda and Kathunguri Primary Schools – the well needed to be dug deeper in order to get water in the dry season.

In Summary

Total funds raised for the ten Borewells was approx:  Ksh 3,586,912
Our initial investment to commission the full ten wells was: Ksh 3,296,636
leaving a project maintenance fund of:  Ksh 290,276
which was all sent to Embu to fix known problems at Nyagari, Magaca, Karungu, Kathari, and Ndumari, leaving a balance of Ksh 45,746 for minor repairs.

Note: All borewells need to be continually monitored and all Headteachers need to be proactive in informing the Rotary Club of Embu when there are problems with their wells.)

Project Completed

To complete the final repairs, a little more funding (Ksh 200,000) was needed to complete the following work:

• Remove rocks at Kathunguri (90,000)
• New pump at Ndumari (55,000)
• Repair pump at Karungu (8,000)
• Repair pump at Magaca (8,000)
• Supervision (fuel) (20,000)
• Misc (10,000)
• Approx 4.5% contingency (9,000)

At the Rotary Club of Billericay’s Business Meeting and the subsequent Club Council, both on October 7, the Club agreed to make this donation from its Benevolent fund and the transfer to the Rotary Club of Embu was completed on October 10.  The sterling cost was £1,235. 

This formally closes the project with thousands of Kenyan Schoolchildren benefitting so much from the results
(see below).

Rtn. Rev’d Margaret Fowler summarises the impact of our project:
“The Borewell project, now delivered to 10 Embu Primary Schools, has been transformative in the life of each school.  I have seen on my regular visits to Kenya how much brighter and healthier the children are now.  They no longer get tired walking miles before school to collect dirty water which could make them ill; they now have clean water for drinking and cooking; they can wash their hands before meals, and clean their classrooms.  Best of all the schools are able to grow crops in abundance because they have a water supply.  These crops feed the children at lunchtime, and any surplus can be sold to buy materials for the school.  Each school’s life has truly changed because they have regular clean water, and the Embu Education Committee, the headteachers, teachers, children and their parents are incredibly grateful to the Rotary Clubs who have made this possible.”