WE DID IT AGAIN!
It hasn’t been raining in Kilifi County between September 2016 and mid-February 2017. The drought was and still is indescribable. Meanwhile, it rained a little. But not enough to grow the vegetation so that people can eat the fruits such as mangos and coconuts.
People have died, cattle died, plants and fruits hardly grow. It is an extreme situation. People don’t have the money to invest in irrigation systems in order to cultivate the land. The water can’t be collected in water tanks because it is not raining. As a result, the water supplies are almost finished.
Under these conditions, we have been working on Wash Shower & Go project number 4 of Pamoja Kenya Foundation. The project is realized on the grounds of the primary school of the village Mpenda Kula in the area Matsangoni (Kilifi County, Kenya). Once a public toilet complex was installed here, but this is not in use anymore. The smell which comes out of this is horrible. They will close the sceptic tank down, so children can play in a hygienic environment. The water well was dry because it was not drilled deep enough and also silt up. The water pump was also broken. Because of the fact there was no water, the school was about to be closed and placed somewhere else.
Foundation Pamoja Kenia, together with Flo Flo under supervision of Gilbert Odera and his team, found WATER. It wasn’t an easy job this time. All together it took them 3 months to reach the proper water level at a depth of 100 feet. After this, the team had to dig another 20 feet deeper to make sure that there is a constant water flow. The total depth where there is a constant water flow is now 120 feet. The drier the soil, the deeper you have to dig. A real challenge. Flo Flo had to go through 2 stone layers to reach the water. The well had to be propped up with stone so that it cannot collapse. A very tough job and Gilbert and his team where sometimes worried whether they would find water. Despite that they had done extensive research in advance. Philip Kahindi, the supervisor of Pamoja Kenia, had seen these problems elsewhere before and was convinced there was water in the soil. And he was right!
In the meantime the new public toilet/shower complex together with the powerhouse had already been built and installed The wait was on the water. But it was successful. Everything works and there is water and the school can continue to exist on site. We did it again! The people of Mpenda Kula have WATER!!
Again we managed to extend the power, which was installed by the government. This means reduce in costs like oil for a generator and in principal constant power. Again the local government has donated the plot to us so that we could use our money only for realizing the project.
Make a note in your diary
The latest news
– On 15 April I will do a presentation about Pamoja Kenya during an African High Tea at www.qalanjofashion.com. You can spend the day shopping for charity, the proceeds will go to Pamoja Kenia. Let us know if you want to participate in the high tea or if you only want to stop by via info@pamoja-kenya.com. Place: Spui 263 in The Hague.
Time: between 14 and 16 hours.
Cost € 10,- per person.
– On 25 May Stichting Pamoja Kenia will sell her articles from 11-17hours at ‘the We Love Ibiza Fair’ at the Broodfabriek in Rijswijk.
-Read my interview in NRC of Monday 27 march.
– Read my interview in the online version of The Voice Achievers Award on page 40 & 41. http://www.thevoicenewsmagazine.com/pdf/April2017.pdf
-Rabia Mohan of Indischa Flower, has designed an app for Pamoja Kenia. Herewith you can follow the progress of our projects. Soon available in the appstore! How cool is that!
-On 9 September, Caroline Pouw (born in Kenya) will be organizing a Fashion High Tea in Apeldoorn. Part of the proceeds goes to Pamoja Kenia. I’ll give a presentation about the work of Pamoja Kenya during the high tea.
A word of thanks from Founder Marion van de Voort
I wish to thank all our donors, our Board in The Netherlands and in Kenya, Leo van de Velde of the AD, Elvis Iruh of The Voice and all our advisers working in the background from the bottom of my heart for their support, loyalty and faith in Pamoja Kenia Foundation. Without your support project No. 4 had never been realized.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!