AMREF has implemented water and sanitation activities in Makueni District since 1982. The initial phase covered Mtito Andei, Kibwezi and Makindu divisions. The current second phase covers Makindu, Kathonzueni, Nguu, Wote and Kalawa divisions of Makueni district with over 196100 people. Makueni district is 7,440 square km wide, with an estimated population at 815,463 and growth rate of 3.09%.

Only 29% of households have access to adequate water in dry seasons and 41% in wet season. Many of the sources that provide water are unsafe and only 18 to 22% of the population has access to safe water in the dry and wet seasons respectively. Distance travel to water sources range from 5-10 kilometers (Makueni District Profile, AMREF 2000).

The government of Kenya's Review Poverty: Volume 1 (1997) ranked Makueni as one of the poor districts in Kenya. Increased cases of disease resulting from poor hygiene and sanitation as relates to water are among the problems associated with poverty in the district.

Makueni water and sanitation project was designed to mitigate the poverty situation focusing on improved health and welfare of the community using water as the entry point. The project is implemented by AMREF in partnership with the communities of the target divisions. Other partners are the Ministries of Water and Health, Administration, Agriculture and ARIDSAK.

Donor: AMREF Italy

Project Activities


Development of shallow wells, bore holes and nurseries for tree planting
Promotion of water related income-generating activities
Community training on wells management
Baseline survey
Achievements

The community is sensitized about the benefits of the project and is actively participating. The project is now demand driven

About 400 wells were developed within the first phase between 1982 and 2001. Identification and documentation of 400 more wells was done within the second phase that began 2002. Out of these, 223 have been developed, installed with hand pumps and are serving the community. The rest are at various stages of completion levels.
Distance to water sources has reasonably been reduced within served areas affording women time for other economic activities

Well groups have established water related income generating activities.
Food security and nutrition promotion is being improved through vegetable gardens established at well sites. Tree nurseries are developed for conservancy of the environment and other economic benefits.

Community own resources people and structures (artisans, operators from wells committees, divisional/location water committees) were identified, trained and have taken lead in the project development.

Communities have been sensitized on importance of hygiene, sanitation, malaria control and sustainable development related to water and they are now managing their water sources. There is evidence of replication of project activities within the community.
Challenges

The high poverty levels, HIV/AIDS scourge and increasing cases of malaria are threatening to reverse the milestones gained. In this regard the need for additional funding support to address the mentioned problems is evident.

The project area is large and diverse with many other complex poverty related problems.
The project has only one pickup vehicle that is not adequate to serve its transport needs effectively. Shallow wells are not viable in some place with low ground water table or non at all. This calls for more expensive water source alternatives beyond the capacity of the project to afford.

Complexity in social-ethnic background and political inclination and varied
The project lacks ground water prospecting machine. Due to lack of the equipment, it was not easy to prospect for water accurately.

In some cases, the hard volcanic rock formation constrained rapid wells digging process.
The Ministry of Health is constrained to offer adequate support. Diminished resources� including staff has hampered the Ministry�s active participation.
The current short term funding support does not allow diversification of activities and adequate sustainable process for community development.
Future
The project intends to raise more funds to widen its coverage in Makueni district, strengthen the component of health education on hygiene, sanitation, and malaria control and diversifying activities to include HIV/AIDS mitigation.

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