By Abdimalik Hajir
A non-governmental organization has brought relief to residents of Bula Asli villages in Madogoo sub-county after commissioning a water project that will supply clean water for household use and livestock.
Speaking during the launch at Bula Asli, the program manager SITE Enterprise Promotion Elizabeth Katuba said it’s the community who asked for rehabilitation of the water projects as a result of the massive distance to the water source.
“We had a lengthy discussion with the community who requested to have water projects as a result of distance, with the area Chief they formed a committee and that is how this project came into being,” she said.
The goal is to improve the livelihoods of over 1500 households through increased supply of quality milk resulting in creation of job opportunities and sustainable livelihoods for rural households. The specific target groups camel owners, herders, milk transporters, buyers and traders in the main milk markets in Garissa County.
While receiving the projects on behalf of the community, Alamin Bare, the Madogo ward administrator urged community to make maximum use of the project.
He asked the organization to invest more of such projects in more villages saying there are other villages with extreme water challenges for both domestic use and for their animals.
The projects consist of rehabilitation of water points from Mulanjo borehole to Bula Asli village, extension of water piping system, water tank constructions of water troughs and drawing points for domestic use.
As an organization, Katuba said they have been working around the camel milk value chain where they closely work with herders, camel owners, camel milk traders as well as transporters and consumers.
This she said is part of sustaining resilience amongst pastoralists who face perennial drought and to ensure the camel owners get value for their milk which is clean.
The projects she noted are part of the projects to ensure the community has clean water.
Locals who appreciated the project noted that initially they used to trek for more than 2km for water and now this will go a long way in helping communities get water within their households.
The events was presided over by Assistant County Commissioner Marvine Shimekha who was accompanied by Madogoo ward administrator Alamin Bare, site engineer Ismail Ali Mohamed of the Tana North water and other officials.
The Assistant County commissioner told locals to own the water projects and ensure its taken care of adding that the area has extreme water challenges.
Shimekha noted that women are mostly affected when it comes to challenges of getting water, emphasizing the need to have women in the water management committee within the communities.
Alamin Bare, the ward administrator while appreciating the projects, requested the organization to invest in similar projects in other villages saying the challenge for water is deep across villages.
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