Direct From Kenya- A Summer Read 4 You! 😎

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Subject: Direct From Kenya- A Summer Read 4 You! 😎

July & August 2022 Summer Issue

Greetings Friend,

Welcome to our summer newsletter!

This month we're going to share the monthly reports we receive from our two partners: MYDG, the Matsakha Youth Development Group, and KCDG, the Kambiri Community Development Group, both of Western Kenya in Kakamega County. These partner reports - together with financial reports, recipient reports, and Friendly Water staff reporting - provide both staff and supporters with key comparable data that monitors our outputs, outcomes and ultimately describes our theory of change.

As a recap:

>>MYDG has been building Rainwater Catchment Tanks (RCT), Interlocking Stabilized Soil Blocks (ISSB) and producing Multipurpose Liquid Soap since January 2021. KCDG has been doing the same since February 2022.

>>Between these two groups 10,300 liters of soap have been produced and sold or given away since inception leading to profits, after payroll, of almost $3000 for these community groups.

>>Over forty-thousand ISSB bricks have also been made (with 20,000 more underway in August/ September). Our brick costs 25¢ to make, 1,100 build an RCT, 450 build a composting latrine, 14,000 build the walls for a 30m x 10m school.

>>Twenty- 25,000 liter RCTs have been installed at local schools since October of 2021. That's 500,000 liters of water security in an increasingly arid area. Together, with our partner teams, we are preparing to produce an additional 20 RCT before the close of 2022 creating 1,000,000 liters of water storage in just over a year.

Their reports are below.

After that, we have two pieces from our management team in Kenya.

The first introduces the reader to the Marigoli Hills in Vihiga County, where we have been invited to the community of Kerongo to explore creating a multi-year partnership.

The second piece illustrates the beginning of our partnership process. The critical Community Survey has canvassed over 120 individuals representing a fair cross-section (7%) of the local population. From this survey and lots more input from the community, we will begin to develop plans for our week-long keystone Community Engagement process slated for this fall.

If you have any questions or thoughts or just want to say hello, please contact us at: hello@friendlywater.org

A Report from the Matsakha Youth Development Group on Activities in July of 2022

by Margaret Wafula

MYDG leadership meeting with Friendly Water staff

The month of July has been a busy month for us as MYDG members, we had a lot of activities involving construction of water tanks at various schools, we had our masons constructing four tanks. Two tanks at Makuche Primary School and two tanks at Timbito Primary School.

We appreciate the team work spirit that is being exemplified by the members and the effort made by Friendly Water's leaders Eric, Ezra and Getry for the team work spirit to ensure that our local schools and community members get clean water, safe for drinking and farm use.

We are planning this month of August to have another set of Tanks being constructed at Chegulo Primary School and Namshya Primary and Secondary School, if funds are received on time without much delay.

We are thankful for our friends and partners from the nearby Kambiri group (KCDG) whose Masons engaged with our own MYDG masons during the construction of their tanks. This led to our masons getting to learn more about tank construction they also have gained more knowledge regarding the same.

The month of July, we were also privileged to have a group of small farmers who came to learn different methods of planting their maize crop, it is during this time our soap marketing assistant Beatrece Imbaala pioneered, as a champion, to market our soap.

Beatrece Imbaala, MYDG Marketing Assistant addressing local farmers

about Good Hygiene practices and our META soap for sale

Drastic changes in the economic sector for the past three months have really affected the sale of our Meta liquid soap. As MYDG members, we have experienced a lot of challenges in the month of July. We recorded little on soap sales because of the continued incremental increases in prices of essential commodities. The devastating economic changes has left our customers in a tight corner as prices were rocketing up the roof every day. Our product is still highly appreciated by our customers, but the month of July came along with economic hardship leading to low marketing of soap product by MYDG members.

As a country, as we struggle with economic hardships, our customers who are also parents of school going children are especially impacted for they have to come up with the school fees of their children both in primary and secondary school. This lead us to record even less sales this month since for them to balance between purchasing of soap, paying tuition or buying 2kg maize flour at 205ksh per kg pose a great challenge to our customers, for they are in anguish to have at least a piece of meal on the table.

MYDG's new offices- MADE FROM ISSB BRICK!

The good news for the month of July is that, we are happy that wiring for electricity for our new building has been completed, and we are only waiting for Kenya Power and Lighting Company to come and connect the electricity.

Finishing the concrete form to pour the roof of an RCT at Timbito Primray School

Challenges

•Increase fuel prices has post a great challenge to essential commodities leading to high cost of living to our customers, this has led to low purchase of meta liquid soap

•Political tension- political goodwill is uncertain to our country during time of election. As the country is heading towards the general election in August 9th , it is clear that most of our suppliers for chemicals are still in dilemma whether to restock or not because they are afraid of the political tension that is caused by different political parties as a result we experience scarcity of chemicals which are at a higher price

•High cost of living also still a challenge not only to our customers but also to the citizens of Kenya as a result we experience low purchase of soap

Sincere thanks to you for your interest in our work,

Margaret Wafula,

Organizing Secretary MYDG

Kambiri Community Development Group

July Narrative Report

by Nancy Masitsa

Part of Kambiri Town seen from an elevation

General elections are scheduled to be held on the 9th August 2022, this is a constitutional mandate to all Kenyans .this period is always preceded with a long period of campaigns in which July was not exceptional. The campaigns are always coupled with so much shenanigans that every Kenyan is anticipating for this day so that at least they can have rest from the noise.

Voters will have an opportunity to elect the President, members of the national assembly and senate, county governors and members of county assembly. It’s the third election under the new constitution in which the incumbent president will not be vying because of the constitutional limit.

The independent Electoral and Boundaries commission is the body endowed with overseeing the election process, and it’s the hope and prayer of every Kenyan citizen that we have a peaceful, fair and credible elections.

Despite all this excitement and "money dishing" (vote buying) the Kambiri Community Development Group still managed to go through the storms and do our work.

Soap sales at a KCDG sponsored Good Hygiene training

SOAP SALES AND RODUCTION

The group managed to produce 200 litres and had spillover of 50 litres which translate to 250 litres in the month, of this they were able to sale 233 litres realizing a total revenue of 27,880/= ($250U.S.).

As part of group sustainability this month they able to purchase 155kgs of raw material (SLES….80kg, CMC 25kg, SALT 50kg), the synergy among the group members is very good in terms of overseeing that the soap has been sold. One of the strategies employed this month was a campaign of reaching women selling assorted items in Kambiri Market with a slogan of “cleanliness our priority“ with the chairlady, Tabitha Musonye, taking the lead role.

According to the group, soap production and sales is used as a bonding venture, which always keeps the team intact.

A happy customer packing up her purchase of SAFI soap

INTERLOCKING BRICKS

Though not much was done in the month concerning bricks but had a remain of almost 600 bricks and hope to start production of the next 10,000 immediately after the much anticipated polls

RAINWATER CATCHMENT TANKS

Four rainwater catchment tanks were erected at two schools in the month of July that, is Bulovi Primary School and Ingolomosio Secondary School. This was a start of a great journey for the group because the community now has more trust in KCDG than ever and, in fact, other neighboring schools are making endless calls to have them considered in the next phase.

The masons helping from our sister organization MYDG were very knowledgeable as well which even made the work smoother. The use of local people to be assistant masons and water vendors augured well with our objective.

The tanks are undergoing curing as we await handing over of the same once schools resume after elections

KCDG's new RCT at Bulovi Primary School

Finishing an RCT at Ingolomosio Primary School

Lessons learnt in July

•Leadership is central to realization of any achievement

•Positive approach to schools makes it easier for cooperation

•Get out to get customers

•Sales is a collective effort

Recommendations

•Have more soap on the shelves because the market is unpredictable

•Involve the community more in all tasks

•Involving the community leadership enhances transparency

Submitted with appreciation,

Nancy Masitsa,

Secretary KCDG

KERONGO

Part One- The Maragoli Hills will "Smile Again"

Looking South from the heights of the Maragoli Hills in Vihiga County

you can see Kisumu County and, in the distance, Lake Victoria

On the slopes of the famous Maragoli Hills, lies the little known village of the Kerongo Community. For now, I will not talk about the community that lives around Kerongo but I want to share a story about the once celebrated Maragoli Hills that currently is a site with bare rock. When you get to the peak of this hill, you have the opportunity to get a clear view of Lake Victoria and Kisumu City.

In the early years of the 1990’s Maragoli Hill was fully covered by a green canopy courtesy of the efforts that had been done by the Kenya Forest Service to rehabilitate the hill by planting trees. This procedure by the KFS led to the hill gaining its new name of “Maragoli Hills Forest”. However this new name was short lived after a single act by a corrupt government official let to the destruction of the Forest that had been established. The said Government official, orchestrated the massive wanton destruction of the forest leaving it a pale shadow of the former self. Damage to this once important watershed for western Kenya led to about 20 streams emanating from the foot of the forest drying up leaving caves that are now being utilized as tour sites by the locals.

The caves which are referred to as “Mungoma Caves” are believed to be the Origin of the Maragoli Community the dominant tribe that settled around the hill.

Despite of the damage that has been done to this hill, there is hope of bringing back its original glory. Efforts are being done by the local community to reforest the hill again.

And here is where we get in…….Friendly Water for the World has started negotiations with the local community in Kerongo on how we can also be part of this worthwhile process and the journey has just began. We recently did a survey within the community and indeed this is a society that will need all our concerted efforts to make Maragoli Hill smile again.

Our team meeting with the local leadership and interested citizens in Kerongo

Our Community Facilitator, Getry Agiza leading a discussion

with Ezra Kigondu, our Asst. Programs Manager

Our core technologies on safe cooking, water security; good hygiene and better building are real time salvage for “Mother Nature”as we strive towards working with the communities living on the slope of this once famous hill.

With kind regards,

Eric Lijodi

Programs Manager

A potential multiple RCT site at the Musunguti Primary School

Part Two- Voicing through Paper: Starting our Community Wide Survey in Kerongo

Bartimeus Lijodi working with Clan Elder Philip Kayanga to fill out a survey on August 4th

“It only takes one voice, at the right pitch, to start an avalanche”

It was a good moment for the people and residents of Vigulu sublocation, where Kerongo is located, to have an opportunity to fill out the community survey form courtesy of Friendly Water for the World led by the Assistant Programs Manager. The surveyed members of the community were sampled from the entire sublocation (a sublocation is an administrative designation for a group of villages in Kenya, usually ten in number).

Our pre-survey meeting was well received because for a long time the community has not come together to highlight their needs concerning Sanitation, Health, Water and Education. What was exciting, and most encouraging, is that the Assistant Chief was part of the group identifying the needs of the community despite being viewed as having many other responsibilities in the community.

The clan of Avamenge which is the predominant clan in the region is represented by elder Philip Kayanga who informatively filled the form citing all the gaps in the area and looking forward for a great collaboration with all stake holders in addressing their needs.

The Community Survey remains integral in identifying community needs before implementing any project and this is a priority at Friendly Water.

With thanks,

Ezra Kigondu

Asst. Programs Manager

A community member filling out a survey next to a substandard pit latrine.

We can replace it with an ISSB composting latrine rated to last 40 years.

Your support is the only way this work gets done. Thank you!

FRIENDLY WATER FOR THE WORLD

We are on a mission to transform the villages of the world.

https://friendlywater.org

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Subject: Direct From Kenya- A Summer Read 4 You! 😎