“Water is an issue here, I will not lie to you, you just came today and it just rained heavily yesterday, so the issue may seem tame but we have a water problem that has been going on for years.” recounts one of the women, looking grimly at the beach waters glimmering from the mid morning sun.
Kisumu county from a wider view, seems like it’s at the tip of Lake Victoria, and the people of Katuk and Kanyawegi sub-location, in Osiri location seem even closer to the lake, that is if you are looking at the map. But once you step on the ground you realize that is far from the truth, these distances span kilometres to actually access the lake.
This may not sound like a problem, as many visit the lake for fish and enjoy the scenery. It is a beautiful lake I must add and most of the beaches here are in good condition, there is no littering and the order is a clear indication that Beach Management leaders are doing a great job.
This is not something the women and girls of this community would recount, as they have been left to domestic chores and amongst them the most important is fetching water. Water has been a problem in this area spanning decades, and this seems to be an issue to so many water communities. Mind boggling right?
It is assumed that they have water, the waters of Lake Victoria, while in reality the water is actually miles and miles away and if they access it, it is not the safest.
Water is a human right, access to safe water and sanitation is something that we should have at our disposal.
In their definition NunBogu and Elliot in 2022, define WASH (water, sanitation, hygiene) security as sufficient and reliable access to socio-political and cultural environments that guarantee safety, dignity and adequate access to WASH services in ways that support health and wellbeing.
A report released in 2017 by WHO and UNICEF notes that Populations living in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) are most adversely affected with 2.2 billion people living in these regions unable to access safe water and over 4.2 billion people unable to access adequate and safe sanitation.
Judith Awuor Odera, 38, is a mother of four and has lived in the area for over 18 years. She also cares for her four stepchildren. Her children are currently responsible for fetching water for the family. She lives in constant fear for their safety.
“Before I see them return, I cannot be sure they are safe. Every day when they leave to fetch water, you pray to God that they come back,” she says with a worrisome look.
The children often leave for water very early in the morning or late in the evening, making the journey unsafe. As a result, some are exposed to risky situations or engage in unsafe behaviors, sometimes using water collection as an excuse, all at the expense of their education and well-being.
She recalls a time when access to lake water was completely cut off and all the springs had dried up except one. “You would find sanitary towels disposed of in that only remaining water source,” she says. With water already scarce and poorly managed, such conditions pose a serious health risk and could lead to a disaster for the entire community.
Florence Onyango from Kanyawegi sublocation shares that the water they use in the area is not clean for consumption, and that leads to diseases around the community like cholera, typhoid and bilharzia.
Florence has been married in this community for 15 years, and when she joined, she found the old submerged water project not working even then, she says there were pipes even constructed to channel the cleaned piped water drawn from Lake Victoria but she has never seen it work, but the pipes still stand as a stark memory to a failed water project in the area that could have alleviated their decades long access to water.
‘The current water project that has been constructed is not unique.” she says pointing at it from the shores where she is sat. She says she hears the water project has allegedly been constructed by the area MCA who is allegedly being funded by another donor from the Netherlands, and as it stands currently, they have not seen it deliver any results.
‘I blame our poor leadership.” she says with visible frustration. There was a committee created for this project, leaders and coordinators, she adds that from the look of things, they came and got their chunky shares and left.
If this water project were to work, Florence says there would be no more diseases and safety risks from wildlife attack, because she knows that is where the wildlife should be, and so their interference while searching for water is what leads to these disasters.
If this water were to be in my home, it can help me even to provide myself a decent livelihood like a small vegetable garden to feed my family.
We can insert a map of SDG targets
Edwin Odoyo, the Beach Management Chairman for Jina Beach and also a fisherman, echoes the sentiments of the women. He explains that although they live close to the lake, the water is no longer safe, especially with the impacts of climate change. Previously, the water could be used for drinking after filtering or boiling, but it is now heavily contaminated.
“We do have a water spring called ‘soko.’ It is water that collects from underground, but during extended dry seasons, like the one that just ended, it dries up or only trickles. That means people have to wait for it. Sometimes, when a woman goes to fetch water at ten in the morning, she may not return home until three in the afternoon,” says the chairman.
He also notes that women and children are not safe at the lake due to wildlife and other unscrupulous individuals who may harm them. He mentions the Paga Water Project, which dates back to 1998, but says its progress has been poor. A lot of money has been invested in it, and ownership has changed several times, at one point reportedly being under KIWASCO (Kisumu Water and Sanitation Company Limited). Despite these efforts, the project has never functioned properly. “We really thought it would serve the community well. Pipes were even laid up to Osiri and back,” he adds.
At one point, a contractor was hired to pump water, but the effort failed because only mud was pumped. Since then, the project has not been functional.
“So we really do not have water. When you look at the ‘soko,’ anyone can access it, which means it can easily be contaminated by someone with ill intentions. This could harm the entire community. We have also witnessed many domestic conflicts among women due to the struggle to access water. These are some of the challenges our women and the community at large face,” says Edwin, gazing into the lake.
The chairman concludes by saying that the community still needs support in accessing water, even if it means drilling boreholes across the area. “We have seen this work in other counties to alleviate water problems. We have not received help because people assume we are close to the lake, but the lake has become unsafe. There are even times when we cannot access it at all, especially when it is covered by water hyacinth.”
“I was born into this water problem, and I wish it would end. But so far, we are being used by initiatives that take money in the name of bringing water closer to us. Once the funds are released, they disappear.”
As much as there has been progress between 2000 and 2017, with regards to water and sanitation, only about 27% of the population in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) had access to safely managed water, and 18% had access to safely managed sanitation services as in 2017
“Our women are burdened with finding food, caring for children, securing livelihoods, and fetching water. They are constantly stressed, and this takes a toll on their health,” he concludes with an exasperated sigh.
WASH and Gender (When you have no water it means you have no peace)
Women and girls are naturally very affected with the inability to access WASH services easily. Water has the ability to support wellbeing and health, water has the ability to provide autonomy, the ability to access education, participate in activities that build you for a better future, but when water is the only thing that you think about then it becomes a problem, education is impaired, early marriage comes into the picture, violence and other forms of insecurity comes into play when you have to endure long journeys in order to access something that most people have flowing from their taps at tap of a button.
However, when it comes to water, many at times we speak of communicable diseases that one contracts when they come close to unsafe water but never fully understand the implications of not having the water easily, especially mental health.
“When you have no water, it means you have no peace”: A mixed-methods, whole-population study of water insecurity and depression in rural Uganda. In this study of people living in a rural area of Uganda, the researchers found that problems with getting enough safe and reliable water were clearly linked to worse depression symptoms and a higher chance of being depressed. These links were strong and remained even after accounting for other possible causes. Interviews and group discussions, especially with women (who usually collect water for the family), helped explain how water problems can lead to emotional stress and depression—for example through heavy workload, worry, and conflicts at home and at water points.
The Constant Fear Mothers Carry for Their Daughters
Anyango who chose to remain anonymous, cannot forget one particular incident that ingrained in her mind for years. A woman, left for water in the wee hours of the morning, she went earlier to beat the long queues but also to come back and go to her usual place of daily bread, while away one of the kids knocked the kerosene lamp and it caught their bed net, and set their home on fire, she lost two children and her home for water. She says the pain the woman felt has never left her. Anyango also speaks on the state of the waters both from the lake and wells “soko” something that most of the women also makes a reference point to including the risks the women and girls have to go through to access water.
Florence, who also chose to remain anonymous, stresses deeply on how important it would be for them to have water flowing in their homesteads, how safe it will be for women and girls, how deliberating it will be to not always be thinking about water and just how girls can be unburdened with fetching water for their families and just concentrate on education.
Water for all means equal rights and opportunities for all
The United Nations released its water development report ahead of the World Water Day titled “Water for All People: Equal Rights and Opportunities” and there are some worrying data in the report but also some thoughts that need to be taken seriously when it comes to the concept of equality and water for all.
The report states that globally, women are responsible for water collection in over 70% of unserved rural households, spending about 250 million hours daily, with girls under 15 more likely than boys to fetch water. This unpaid labour results in physical strain, lost education and employment opportunities, and increased exposure to gender-based violence. It also causes mental stress and limits women’s participation in social and economic life.
Inadequate access to safe water and sanitation undermines health, dignity, and education, with many girls missing school due to poor menstrual hygiene facilities.
The report states that even though tangible progress in the provision of WASH services has been made, significant disparities persist. The poorest and most vulnerable of the world’s population remain the most affected, where women and girls still bear most of the responsibility for securing water to households. This leads to physical and mental stress, limiting their time and opportunities for education, productive work and social activities.
Are women being consulates when it comes to solving women issues when it comes to water? Women remain underrepresented in water governance, financing, and technical positions. Who is responsible for bridging this gap and who is to be held accountable when it comes to equality for all?
Water is a human right, and we all reserve a right to it, but if the majority of women and girls have to sacrifice their mental, physical and health wellbeing for a right they should be accorded sacrificing their entire life for water then we are quite far removed from reality and is more embedded in publishing more reports, engaging in boardroom talks while women and girls out there continue to bear this burden.
“Access to water is not merely a question of availability or infrastructure. It is, at its core, a question of rights – and of power. Who has access to water, who pays the price for its scarcity, and who sits at the decision-making table reveals enduring inequalities that run deep through our societies.” Khaled El-Enany, Director-General of UNESCO
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