| After much hesitation, Simon finally made the trip to Kenya but only after ascertaining that the political situation there, which had previously flared up following a flawed presidential election, was safe. It was quite encouraging to learn that the people in the area he was visiting had not been much impacted by the crisis although some of their relatives who lived in some of the affected areas had been displaced due to the violence and had to seek shelter with relatives; friends or with the emergency agencies.
On arriving in Nairobi, the immediate task was to have the $18,000 water grant from the International Foundation, converted into the local currency and deposited with the Project’s Bank account for safe custody. One of the ironies of the Kenyan crisis was the surge of the Dollar whose value had previously been on a consistently downward spiral vis-à-vis the Kenya Shilling, and had fallen to somewhere below Kshs.60 to $1. With the onset of the crisis and the flight of tourists, coupled with travel cancellations to Kenya, the value of the dollar suddenly begun to gain on the Kenya shilling and was able to get an exchange rate of Kshs 70 shillings to $1. The small gain, as a result of the currency fluctuation, was therefore a sort of windfall to the program and was a welcome eventuality.
Needless to say, the community was extremely thrilled with this funding for the Water Project for they had started to despair whether Phase II, which was the most critical of the whole Project, would ever get off the ground.
APPOINTMENT OF A NEW WATER COMMITTEE
The first thing which the community did was to select a new water committee to replace the one which existed during Phase I, some of whose members had moved to urban areas in search of livelihood. Phase One had been completed up to the point where the first Weir (reservoir) was to be constructed during the second phase. The new committee, however, made a fundamental alteration of Phase II. Because of the urgency for the need of water, they decided they would first dig out the trenches then lay down the pipes and take the water to the various villages through the force of gravity, which is rendered viable due to the steep slopes in northern side of this region. Once this was completed and the people had started using the water, they would then start the work of constructing the storage tanks. They reasoned that, the construction of the tanks might take a while when the water could in the meanwhile start being utilized and immediately help the folks in growing food; watering their animals as well as using it at their homes. There was consensus in this, and since the active participation of the community was essential for a project like this to succeed, this decision of the community leaders carried the day. The new management committee would oversee the full implementation of the second phase.
- Rev. Fr. Josephat Makau – Project Overseer
- Michael Maundu KUSARD – Projects Manager
- John Mutheke – Water Chairman and Project Advisor
- Francis Kilavi – Treasurer
- Pius Kimatu – Committee Member
- Francis Kivinda – Committee Member and Community Mobilizer
- Raphael Kimani – Committee member
- John Ngewa – Committee Member
- Edward Mbuku – Committee Member
- Bernard Mutisya – Committee Member and Village Manager
- Julian Vincent Mutangili – Committee Member and Project Secretary
- Sabina Kivinda – Committee Member
- Ruth Muteti – Committee Member
- Phylis
- Jannett
- Agnes Ndeleva – Committee Member
- Patrick Mwongela – Committee Member and Village Manager
- Christopher Wambua – Committee Member
- Joseph Wambua – Committee Member
- Stephen Kimilu – Committee Member
- Samuel Kyenze – Committee Member
- Christopher Wambua – Committee Member
- Emily Kimuyu – Committee Member
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| Deliberations/Resolutions
The committee and the community members are taking an active role in the implementation of this second phase of the Kituiuni Community Water Project (also known as “The Linda Daghlian Memorial Water Project”) by providing unskilled manual labor and locally available materials.
Second Phase will include the piping of water to the designated areas (Institutions and homes) in order to benefit the community. Kiosks and Storage tanks will be constructed in the tail end of the project funds allowing.
The committee was made up of the representatives of the various villages targeted to benefit from this project, and out of this group a five member steering committee was elected for the purpose of planning and providing the logistics that would assure a smooth implementation of this Phase. They are charged with the responsibility of securing material for the project and maintaining proper records of the project expenditures and producing progress report of the Project. They will develop rules and regulation for the labor, local material procurement and tools contribution which all the beneficiaries will be expected to follow not as imposed legislation but rather as a social obligation.
The steering committee:-
1. Michael Maundu
2. Francis Kilavi
3. Julian Vincent
4. John Mutheke
5. Pius Kimatu
The Second thing to be done was the measuring of the distances through which the pipes would be laid down along the various villages, in order to determine the number of pipes needed.
For the protection of the pipes, it was resolved they would dig trenches of two feet depth. Some of the Committee members offered to take the physical measurements of the actual distances.
A team of 8 worked for 2 days to got all the measurements together.
Here they can be seen at work. On completion of the second phase and construction of the water points Kiosks, community members benefiting from the water project would be asked to pay a nominal fee to be used towards repairs and maintenance of the project.
The third important thing that the committee did was to charge two of its members with the responsibility of traveling to Nairobi City and getting various quotations of the materials in order to determine which vendor to use and the final cost of materials needed to start the Project.
LINDA DAGHLIAN MEMORIAL WATER PROJECT PHASE 2 – PIPINGS
QUOTATIONS OBTAINED FROM METRO PLASTICS CO. TEL: 551097 NAIROBI KENYA
| DESCRIPTION |
QUANTITY |
PRICE@UNIT |
TOTAL COST |
| 2″ PCV PIPES CLASS C |
100 |
550.00 |
55,000.00 |
| 1″ PCV PIPES CLASS C |
210 |
180.00 |
37,800.00 |
| 3/4″ PCV PIPES CLASS C |
320 |
130.00 |
41,600.00 |
| 1/2″ PCV PIPES CLASS C |
170 |
94.00 |
15,980.00 |
| TOTAL PVC PIPES |
150,380.000 |
|
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|
|
| GI PIPES & OTHER ACCESSORIES OBTAINED FROM DIFFERENT SUPPLIERS IN NAIROBI |
| 2″GI PIPES |
5 |
5,000.00 |
25,000.00 |
| 1″GI PIPES |
10 |
2,300.00 |
23,000.00 |
| 3/4″GI PIPES |
5 |
1,530.00 |
7,650.00 |
| REDUCERS |
| 1″ |
2 |
420.00 |
840.00 |
| 3/4″ |
3 |
110.00 |
330.00 |
| 1/2″ |
5 |
80.00 |
400.00 |
| Ts |
| 2″ |
4 |
150.00 |
600.00 |
| 1″ |
4 |
55.00 |
220.00 |
| 3/4″ |
5 |
40.00 |
200.00 |
| 1/2″ |
2 |
20.00 |
40.00 |
| GATE VALVES“ |
| 1″ |
3 |
1,200.00 |
3,600.00 |
| 2″ |
2 |
3,150.00 |
6,300.00 |
| SOCKETS |
| 1/2″ |
6 |
20.00 |
120.00 |
| 3/4″ |
6 |
20.00 |
120.00 |
| 1″ |
5 |
25.00 |
125.00 |
| NIPPLES |
| 3/4″G.I |
1 |
30.00 |
30.00 |
| TOTAL FOR ACCESSORIES |
68,575.00 |
| GRAND TOTAL |
218,955.00
($3,127.93) |
| JOHN MUTHEKE |
MICHAEL MAUNDU |
| CHAIRMAN WATER COMMITTEE |
PROJECTS MANAGER |
| The fourth step would be the delivery of the materials once procured, and the mobilization of the community to participate in the work of the project which would include things like the digging of the trenches; carrying the pipes and other materials; clearing bushes etc.
As of April 01 2008; this is where Phase 2 of the project had reached.
Since this Project is registered in accordance with the Kenyan law, the Steering Committee resolved to work in collaboration with the provincial administration and the local government officials in order to assure full participation of all stakeholders. A water conservation campaign was also going to be a part of the long term water conservation effort in order to protect the water tables and encroachment of river banks which cause the rivers to slowly dry.
The work of these committees will not going to end with the completion of the Project. It would continue to assure the Project was maintained and served the community for many years to come and also to implement Phase III which is the final Phase of the Project aimed at reaching every village and building a 3rd water tank and all the kiosks identified in the survey. The third Phase had yet to be funded; but with Phase 1 & 2 completed, a milestone would have been reached in turning lives around in Kituiuni forever. |
| Some of the things they plan to do for the long haul: |
- Periodic survey of the condition of tanks and water pipes and water kiosks.
- Determine an affordable fair usage fee for members in order to meet maintenance expenses and to determine how best to implement this.
- Setting up time, and working schedules for the repair and maintenance of the systems.
- Conflict resolution among water users.
- Decide the level of dues and fines to be paid by defaulters.
- Set the time and venue for periodic community meetings.
- Establish the authority of vice-chief, assistants and water managers.
- Co-ordinate works with pertinent government officials.
- Overseeing water usage by member of the community.
- Allocating water usage days when there is a shortage e.g. extreme drought seasons from village to village.
- Maintain account books for various expenses of the systems
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| Phase 2 continued |
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