Backbone of the community

January 30, 2025
By Jacqueline Tingle
In rural Kenya, women are the backbone of their communities.
Meet Agnes Mukina, a 56-year-old mother of six from the Muvau village in Makueni County. Mukina is a shining example of both resilience and determination. Despite facing adversity, Mukina has managed to rebuild her life while providing for her family, thanks in part to an Alongside Hope project that is bringing clean water to her community.
Before the project began, Mukina’s day would begin at dawn, with a 1km walk to the nearest stream to collect water. She would make at least 8 trips per day, spending over three hours carrying heavy jerricans of water back to her home. The physical demands were exhausting, but Mukina’s household needed clean water.
In May 2024, Mukina’s house caught on fire, leaving her family without a home or belongings. That’s when the Shallow Wells for Health Projects came into her life. The project, which aims to reduce the impacts of climate change on women and girls, provided Mukina with a donkey to help collect water. The donkey has significantly impacted Mukina’s life. By carrying multiple jerricans of water from the stream, the donkey has reduced the number of trips Mukina needs to make, freeing up time for her to focus on her tree seedling nursery. This new efficiency has given Mukina more time to nurture her nursery, allowing her to devote attention to it.
Thanks to the donkey’s assistance, Mukina has also been able to rebuild her home using mud bricks, providing her family with a safe and secure living space. Most recently, she has embarked on a new entrepreneurial venture, manufacturing and selling mud bricks to her community, generating additional income for her family.
PWRDF began partnering with the Utooni Development Organization in Kenya in 2019 on a project to build shallow wells. In 2022, that project expanded into its second phase, working in Machakos, Makueni and Kajiado counties. Approximately 2,500 people will be affected directly, and 6,800 people will be affected indirectly. The project concludes in September 2025.

The Shallow Wells for Health project that helped Mukina, and many others like her, is part of a larger initiative to improve access to clean water, while simultaneously reducing the impacts of climate change on women and girls. In these communities, women and girls typically hold most of the burden when it comes to household management. By providing access to shallow wells, water tanks and donkeys, the project is helping to increase the number of households accessing water from improved sources. Reducing the time and distance required to access water, while decreasing waterborne diseases in the communities.
The project’s focus on equipping women is crucial, as they’re often the primary caregivers in the households. By providing women with access to clean water, we’re reducing their workload, improving their health and increasing their economic opportunities.
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