Clean Water Access Initiative – Homabay,Kisumu.
In rural Kenya, access to clean water is not a convenience — it is a matter of survival. Women and children in underserved communities can spend up to six hours a day walking to collect water from unsafe sources. That time cannot be spent in school, in work, or in rest. And the water they collect is often contaminated, causing illness that costs families even more in medical bills and lost productivity.
Rose Seko Foundation set out to change that.
What We Did
Between 2022 and 2023, the Clean Water Access Initiative funded and oversaw the installation of three boreholes and two rainwater harvesting systems across two counties in rural Kenya. Each installation was chosen based on community need assessments carried out in partnership with local leaders. Every site was selected because it would serve the greatest number of households with the least existing access to safe water.
The boreholes were drilled to a depth that ensures year-round water availability — even during Kenya’s dry seasons. The rainwater harvesting systems were installed at community gathering points, including one at a primary school, ensuring children have access to clean water throughout the school day.
Who It Served
The five installations collectively serve an estimated 100+ households — approximately 500 individuals — across the two target counties. Before the project, most of these households relied on open rivers and shallow wells, both of which carry significant contamination risks.
Teachers at the primary school where one system was installed reported a measurable improvement in student attendance and concentration within weeks of the installation going live.
What We Learned
Community ownership is everything. The installations that have been best maintained are those where the community was involved from the planning stage — not just handed a finished project. This lesson shapes everything we do now: we build with communities, not for them.
What Comes Next
This initiative is complete, but the need for clean water in rural Kenya is far from solved. We are currently assessing new sites for a second phase of water access work. If you would like to support the next water project, your donation goes directly to drilling, equipment, and installation costs — nothing else.