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Communities near Maai Mahiu, situated in Kenya's Great Rift Valley, face severe water scarcity and poor groundwater quality due to high salinity, fluoride, and mineral contamination from geothermal activity. This ongoing crisis contributes to poor health outcomes, food insecurity, lost educational opportunity, and limited economic development.
In a collaborative effort, local leaders from the villages of Muniu, Ruiru, and Kamuchira formed the MURUKA Community Based Organization (CBO) and identified a sustainable solution: development of a pipeline system to deliver clean, reliable water from a protected highland source to their communities.
This Rotary WASH initiative will fund infrastructure and safe drinking water systems benefiting 18,300+ people in Kenya, including 12,000+ community residents in the Maai Mahiu region and 6,300+ students and staff through targeted school-based water projects.
The project includes construction of a community water delivery system providing reliable access to safe water for the MURUKA communities while emphasizing local ownership, training, capacity building, and long-term sustainability. Three schools within the MURUKA service area will also receive school water kiosks to improve student access to safe water, hygiene, and educational outcomes.
To further expand educational impact, the initiative includes installation of a Reverse Osmosis (RO) + UV purification system at Ndurarua Primary & Junior Secondary School in Nairobi, where more than 6,300 students and staff currently depend on highly alkaline and contaminated borehole water. The system will provide clean drinking water through advanced filtration, storage capacity, water access points, training programs, and sustainability measures designed to improve student health, attendance, and learning outcomes.
By securing reliable access to safe water, the project will:
* Improve public health by reducing reliance on contaminated water sources.
* Improve school attendance, concentration, and educational outcomes through safe drinking water access.
* Reduce vulnerability and food insecurity through improved water availability.
* Stimulate economic opportunity and community resilience tied to water security.
* Strengthen local capacity through community engagement, training, and sustainable operations.
Aligned with Rotary's Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) Area of Focus, this initiative combines community-scale water infrastructure with school-based safe drinking water systems to create sustainable, measurable impact across rural communities and educational institutions in Kenya. Through strategic partnerships, environmental stewardship, and community leadership, the project aims to serve as a model for long-term, scalable development.
Find more about the project at: https://tinyurl.com/mmwater2025
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