* BACKGROUND: The water in the Rift Valley of Kenya contains an extremely high level of Fluoride, a phenomenon associated with volcanic activity. If people consume too much fluoride over a long period, they develop a disease called FLUOROSIS, which produces:
(1). Skeletal Fluorosis - affecting the bones, especially that of children.
(2). Dental Fluorosis - permanately damaging and browning the teeth, especially of children between 3 - 12 years, whose teeth are developing.
(3). Non-Skeletal Fluorosis - causing damage to the intestine system, increasing the risk of miscarriages and the number of children born with deformed skeletons.

*AIM OF THE PROJECT: to guard the health of the children in the area of Nakuru in the Rift Valley of Kenya by collecting rain water in domestic water-tanks constructed at the homes of the lower-income section of the community, with no regard to their ethnic or religious grouping. This clean rain water can then be used for drinking and cooking. The people themselves must be ready to build the concrete base on which their water-tank will be built.

* COST OF EACH WATER-TANK: US $515

* REQUEST: There are at least 100 families who could benefit from this project.

* PROJECT SUPERVISOR: Fr. PJ McCamphill, St. Patrick's. PO Box 13316, Nakuru, Kenya, East Africa. 

Fr. Brian Byrne

Building work on St Margaret’s begun in 2005 and is ongoing as money is available. Girl’s education is a pressing need in this rural area of Zambia and a total of 260 students have enrolled in 2007 and 2008. There will be a similar intake in the years ahead.

Kokwe is a very dry area and water is in scarce supply. Students tend to use it liberally when it is available and boreholes run dry very quickly. Generators and electric pumps play their part in emptying the boreholes in record time. They also break down from time to time and servicing and repairs are hard to access in this remote area.

The solution arrived at is to install five hand- pumps. The students can pump the water by hand when they need and so the little water there is in the boreholes will be used sparingly and critical shortages will be averted.

One pump is already installed thanks to Liquid for Life. It is working well and the others will follow shortly. 
 

I received a quotation from a local Borehole driller this morning.
Name: Well Water Resources, P.O. Box 21, Lokichoggio, Kenya.
Mobile Phone No. 254733361998

He offers as follows:
[1] $8,000 per successful borehole including casing
[2] A charge of $800 to cover fuel if the well is dry.
[3] Install India MKII hand pump and platform $1,500
[4] We ourselves would be responsible for survey [completed] and
borehole permit [completed]

At present he is drilling in S Sudan but will have a rig back in
Lokichoggio at the latest by April '08
John O'Callaghan, Catholic Church, Lokichoggio, Box 101, Lodwar, Kenya.

Dear Michael,

4 WATER TANKS. KIPSARAMAN SEC. SCHOOL. $ 2,944

Recently I visited a remote secondary school at Kisaraman in a poverty stricken part of North Baringo District, Rift Valley Province here in Kenya. The people are small mountain farmers who grow maize, beans and a little coffee.
This self help school presently has four class rooms built by the local people in the last three years. It gets no government aid and teachers are paid from the collection of school fees. One of the class rooms is presently being used as dormitory for the girl students who come from a distance too far to walk to school each morning. 

The Headmistress of the school, Ms Rachel Ngumo, told me her biggest problem is clean water for the girls and asked me to try and get funding for four tanks to collect the rain water from the roofs of the class rooms. At present the girls have to go to a water hole about a mile away and draw water each morning in gerry cans so that they can wash and cook.

4 x 5,000liter water tanks US$ 2,461.
Guttering 216
Transport of tanks 300
Total. US$ 2,977
 

Sincerely,
 

John Garry
 
 

WATER TANK & PIPING

Recently we sank a shallow well in the church compound and found water at 50 feet. This water is now being used by the mission. We would now like to make clean water available to the people by collecting the rain water from the church during the rainy season and piping it to a convenient collection point.

5000m liter plastic water tank Kshs 40,000/= US$ 615.
Guttering to collect rain water from church Kshs 6,200/= US$ 95.
200m ¾ plastic piping Kshs 6,00/= US$ 100

Total cost: US$ 810.
 

Sincerely,
 

Leo Staples

Dear John,

SHALLOW WELL. FOR HANDICAPPED/ DISABLED.

“Bobleo” home for the handicapped/disabled is presently being built. It would benefit very much if given a help towards digging a shallow well. Most neighboring places have found water at 40 – 45 feet and the cost locally (including sealing with bricks is Kshs. 50,000/= (US$ 770.)
Water for the building of the school which is now in progress is being supplied by donkey transport. It is obvious what a great asset the shallow well would be.
One plastic tank of 5,000 liters (Kshs 40,000/= (US$ 615) is also required. 

Total request US$ 1,385.

Leo Staples.
 
 

Dear Fr. Leo Staples,

WATER TANKS AND WATER GUTTERS FOR THIS SCHOOL.

The above school is currently constructing six new classrooms.

This project is slowly progressing due to the water problems. The source is reasonably far. Water is collected using hired donkey carts.

The water tanks that would be suitable to complete the three new classrooms would be three of 5000 liters capacity each. This would also support the increasing population of pupils and the on going construction projects.

Each tank costs Kshs 40,000/= x3 120,000/= US$ 1,846
75 water guttering at 11,250/- US$ 173.

The total amount for tanks and gutters will be K.shs131,250. US$ 2,019.

Thank you in advanced for this support.

Yours faithfully,

Leo Wanyamo
Headteacher.