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 A shallow well aside a dry riverbed. Shallow wells are the most effective means of providing cheap and clean water to the rural populationBetter Globe Forestry also has a programme for donating water to alleviate the burden of women collecting water for their households in the drylands surrounding the company’s planting sites. In areas like Eastern Ukambani, where Sosoma Ranch is situated, annual rainfall is low, around 500mm, and unreliable. On average there are two rainy seasons, the Vuli rains (October-December) and the Masiki rains (April-May). The latter are weaker than the former, and often fail completely. Climate change has a real impact on East Africa, and regarding rain, it manifests itself visibly through infrequent but heavy rainstorms. This means more erosion and destruction, as there is less infiltration in the soil and more run-off, with rivers bursting their banks. It also means longer periods of drought, and more uncertainty on when the next rains will fall.
The government does not guarantee water supply in such areas yet, and a large part of the rural population continues to get its water the traditional way, that is, by scooping it from a hole in a sandy riverbed. The population with access to safe drinking water in Mwingi district in 2001 was only 13.3% (“The little fact book”. Institute of Economic Affairs, Kenya, 2002).
Clearly, safe drinking water is a priority, and technically, there are various solutions to provide it. Two of the cheapest and most efficient solutions are roof catchments and digging of shallow wells. However, there is a whole range of possible interventions: boreholes, earth dams, subsurface dams, sand dams, weirs, rock catchments, road catchments and others. All come at a cost, first for establishment, and afterwards for running and maintenance. The last point is the tricky one, and only if the beneficiaries are fully involved will the project last. This requires training and community awareness and sensitisation.
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