Water is the driving force of all nature.Clean and adequate water is essential for life. Unfortunately, before devolution Kiambu County residents had been having little or no water reaching them to their homes. This led to ravaging of the agricultural sector which is Kiambu's main resident’s source of income.
However, after devolution and formation of counties this has changed .The department Of Water, Environment and Natural Resources Kiambu County in partnership with Vision Empowering Program (VEP) have been sensitizing Kiambu residents on rain water harvesting. Rain Water Harvesting is a method of utilizing rain water for domestic and agricultural purposes. It is already widely used throughout the world. It is a method which has been used since ancient times and is increasingly being accepted as a practical method of providing potable water in development projects throughout the world.
water mashinani user
It's a wide application in areas where the reliability and quality of piped water is increasingly being questioned. For centuries the world has relied upon rainwater harvesting to supply water to household, landscape, and agricultural uses. Before city water systems were developed rainwater was collected (mostly from roofs) and stored in cisterns or storage tanks.
Kiambu County receives a favorable amount of rainfall thus rain water harvesting would really be of great benefit to the people.It will also help ease the water burden for the rural women in the county. Thus, the County signed an MOU with Visionary Empowerment Program (VEP) to collaborate in the supplying of about 468 water harvesting tanks through women groups by June 2016 through the Kiambu County Biashara Fund. So far 250 tanks of 5,000 liters each have been delivered within the twelve sub counties. Visionary Empowerment
Programs (VEP) draws representation of women who are the key users of water from all wards within the county. The tanks are loaned to the women at KSH 32,000 and given a period of two years to pay back the loan.
Since then the women of Kiambu County are singing to a new song and are very happy. They have been able to add more livestock, farm and the agriculture sector is booming once again.
One lady in Gikambura ward has been able to add two more cows and four more pigs after being issued the tank since now she has enough water to give to her livestock which is her main hustle. No more walking for miles in search of water and now they have more time to grow individually. They are grateful to Kiambu Count Government for enriching them with knowledge and providing tanks at a pocket friendly prize to help them in growing themselves and their family.