Partnership Overview

There is an acute shortage of clean accessible water in Nyamasore village and the people depend on Lake Victoria as their main and only source of water for all their domestic needs. About 10 years ago the lake was easily accessible and the water was clean enough for human consumption. However, it has now been covered by water hyacinth which makes it hard to access the clean water. In addition, drawing of water for domestic use is culturally the women's responsibility. The women usually have to make several trips to the lake to have enough water in the house especially with the large households. 

Whereas the younger women can persevere through the difficult task of drawing sufficient water for both laundry and cooking for their families, older women are adversely disadvantaged. Thus, it is impossible for a woman aged 60 years+ to make these trips and these women solely depend on others to get a bucket of water. This affects the hygiene of the older people meaning some of them go without bathing for several days and even recycle the use of their utensils and clothing without washing.  

History of Partnership

BHW's New Partnership Facilitator has known Gabriel and Grace Abanga since 2000. They are pastors in the MCO-OCC network in Nairobi (KEN01b) and he met them on his first or second visit there. In subsequent years they did not have a lot of contact but met up again in 2015 when Gabriel and Grace shared what they wanted to do out in Nyamasore, Gabriel's home village, and communication was recommenced. Following a visit by BHW's New Partnership Facilitator in October 2016 and further communication, BHW commenced partnership with Gabriel and Grace in Nyamasore in May 2017 (KEN12).   

Grace now spends much of her time out in this village, overseeing the farming cooperatives that are working out there. This is the village of her in-laws and her mother-in-law is one of the beneficiaries of this project. In the past these women had a project like this operating with a concrete tank. That tank was repaired numerous times but is now beyond repair. In early 2019 Grace presented this project to BHW's New Partnership Facilitator. It was based on the previous project the ladies had done as they know how to do that and are past being able to farm or do heavy work as many live by themselves or with little ones left for them to care for. BHW provided one-off funding for this project in March 2019.  

Beneficiaries

The primary beneficiaries are a group of five elderly women in the Nyamasore community. These women are as poor as it’s possible to imagine and in some cases abandoned by their families. They will now have easy access to clean water and be able to meet their daily basic needs by the income they generate. The rest of the village will also now have easier access to clean water.  

What We Like About The Partnership

The availability of fresh water will help reduce the water shortage problem in the community mainly among the elderly women.
It will provide sustainable, accessible and clean water to community members who chose to purchase it.
It will help the elderly women to easily access clean water, earn a living and meet their daily basic needs for a healthy old age through selling the water.
The women have previously run a project like this so have the experience required to make it work.  

Key People

Rev Gabriel and Grace Abanga

Gabriel and Grace have been married for 30 years and have four grown up children, one whom is married. They have been involved in Christian ministry in different parts of Kenya and have a good understanding of the country's socio-economic and cultural issues. While Rev Gabriel's ministry has focused on church planting and Christian leadership development, Grace's main focus has been on child development and socio-economic empowerment of communities. Grace's social organizational skills have enabled her to organise communities and particularly needy Christian believers into socio-economic empowerment ventures. 

Grace is a holder of B.A Theology, Int. Certificate on Leadership Development for Youth through Non-Formal Education (Histadrut-Israel), Higher Dip Project Management, and Higher Dip. in Counselling. Grace worked with Compassion International as a social worker and then project director for 18 years. She left Compassion in 2011 to join her husband in church planting and ministry, where together they started and implemented a micro-finance project in the church to empower the needy members. She is now full time in church ministry and implementation of the projects. Grace is passionate about empowering the needy in communities and the church.

Rev Gabriel Abanga has a M.A Counselling Psychology, B.A Theology, Higher Dip. Surveying and Mapping, and Dip. Land Surveying. He is currently the senior minister at Outreach Community Church, Luckysummer, Nairobi and the Founder/Executive Director of Resource Institute for Community and Human Development Agency - RECADA. Rev Gabriel has vast ministerial experience in the Church Planting Movement (CPM), Christian leadership, church ministries and missions.

Vision And Annual Strategy

Vision

The RECADA vision is to raise an economically empowered community, growing in good health both physically, spiritually and socially. In this case, it is to empower a group of elderly women who struggle to make ends meet as they often live in poverty and isolation from their families. 

Strategy 

The plan is to buy two 10,000 litre water tanks to collect rain water during the rainy season. This project will enable the old women to access clean water easily and also sell the water at a price to other members of the community. The proceeds realized from the water project will help sustain the project and also give these older women a means to meet their daily basic needs.

Annual Budget

A one-off amount of US$3,510 is required here. This will provide:
2 water tanks
5 rolls PVC piping
Assorted plumbing – taps joiners etc
10 bags of cement
Ballast, sand stones
Transport, installation and labour