Solving our Water Challenges

Kenya's ongoing drought has created water access challenges for Victoria's Children. We are located in an arid part of Kenya and have learned that wells are not the best way to maintain water year-round due to the soil type. When we built our campus in 2018, we drilled a well 600 feet through solid granite, but the water disappears from the well during dry periods as it seeps away through the surrounding soil.

We installed gutters and water tanks on all buildings to collect rainwater. While this works during rainy seasons, it doesn't provide enough water to last a full year.

We addressed this by building three underground cisterns that hold 60,000 gallons total. After the rainy season, we pump the well water into these cisterns along with the collected rainwater to preserve it before it can seep away. This creates a comprehensive water storage system that combines both well water and rainwater collection to sustain our water needs year-round.

The project cost for the cisterns was covered by savings from our recently built house manager residence. With these cisterns operational and our strategy of pumping well water into storage before it's lost, we expect to eliminate the need to purchase water during dry seasons.