Grant Assistance for Grass-roots Human Security Projects 2010/2011: No more of long walk for water, Japanese provides grant for piping of water to Buguta community, Voi District

No more of long walk for water, Japanese provides grant for piping of water to Buguta community, Voi District.

Date

28th March 2011

Location

Buguta, Voi district, Coastal Province

Project title

The Project for Integrated Water Supply in Buguta   

Amount

US$ 99,028

Attendance

• Mr. Yoichiro Yamada, Deputy Head of Mission of Japan to the Republic of Kenya
• Voi District Officer
• Representative from the Ministry of Water
• Representative from Coastal Development Authority
• JICA Expert
• Representative from MAZIDO

Totaling about 200 participants

Main activity

     Mr. Yoichiro Yamada, the Deputy Chief of Mission of Japan to Kenya signed a grant contract between MAZIDO for the project for Integrated Water Supply in Buguta, Voi district, Coast Province. The grant amounting to 7.4 million Kenya shillings will be used for laying water pipes of 17km to connect from the water source in Makwasinyi village to Buguta community and to construct four water kiosks and a cattle trough.  

Obtaining clean and safe water near their homes was the long time wishes of people in Buguta community. Every morning women and children in Buguta leave their houses as early as 4 or 5 o’clock walking to Makwasinyi or Rukanga villages for more than 8 km to obtain clean water.

Prior to the ceremony, Mr. Yamada visited Makwasinyi village water point where he tried to carry a 20 kg water tank on his head, like village women do. Having experienced how heavy the water tank and how far the Buguta people need to walk for the water, Mr. Yamada, in his speech wished for speedy and successful completion of project so the women and children in Buguta community can be released from this burden and they will be able to obtain the water much closer to their houses.

Also, he expressed appreciation for this collaborative project between Buguta and Makwasinyi where the later village agreed to share the water so the both villages can benefit and develop together as it is said in Swahili “Umoja ni Nguvu,” means “Unity is strength.”

At last, he called people for protecting the forest as source of water shed. At the time of independence Kenya had ten percent of forest cover in the country, now it is less than two percent, then he quoted the word by former French President, “Deforestation is a slow Tsunami.” The deforestation destroys not only the lives of current generation but the lives of future generation. We all have a responsibility to protect forests from irresponsible harvesting of forest resources, said Mr. Yamada.