Tomatoes for school
Children in communities with sand dams save an average of 5 hours a day for their education. That's a lot of time to invest in their future.
The children of the Malaika Self-Help Group used to get up early every morning. They would walk and wait at a small scoop hole in the dry riverbed to fill up their jerry cans. The queues were long and it would take about 30 minutes for enough water to accumulate at the bottom of the hole to fill up one jerry can. Not surprisingly they arrived at school late and exhausted.
Children in rural Kenya are expected to bring water to school every day for cooking, cleaning and drinking. If they don’t, they can be sent away. They either have to brave the dry and dusty heat to try and find water somewhere or simply go home and miss out on a day at school. It’s not an act of cruelty, just the harsh reality of dealing with severe water shortages. Education is therefore one of the big winners when it comes to water harvesting solutions.
Last week my child was sent home from school to collect school fees. Because I have tomatoes that I have planted, the child went back to school. That would not happen before.
Regina Makao, Malaika Self-Help Group
