Over 8,000 residents of Ngaremara Ward, Isiolo County, will now have access to clean water thanks to a partnership between Nestlé and the Kenya Red Cross Society.
The two entities commissioned a community water supply project on Thursday, a facility that will also go a long way in reducing the impact of cyclic droughts in the area. The water system was funded by Nestlé and constructed by Kenya Red Cross, in partnership with the County Government of Isiolo.
To support the ongoing pandemic response efforts by Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS), Nestlé donated Sh12.4 million towards the water, sanitation and hygiene promotion (WASH) project in Ngaremara.
The joint initiative has contributed to the construction of an equipped community borehole, an elevated steel tank, and two entirely solar powered water kiosks to reduce operation and maintenance costs of the facility.
In addition, the initiative organised for community health promotion sessions in 12 villages in Ngaremara Ward, which saw 48 of the 51 households reached embracing the need for and importance of the use of latrines in homesteads. The Ngaremara water system commissioning is part of Nestlé’s longstanding partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
“As the climate changes, so does the global availability of clean, safe water. The impacts are apparent at a local level, with those in vulnerable societies feeling it most,” Nestlé Kenya’s managing director, Ngéntu Njeru, said during the commissioning.
In 2020, Nestlé partnered with KRCS on targeted relief efforts to support the most vulnerable communities through the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Through our water, sanitation and hygiene initiatives, we collaborated with government and valuable stakeholders like KRC, to build resilience in communities where the need for clean water and sanitation is most acute,” Njeru said.
Community knowledge
Through the inclusive capacity building and community training sessions provided at Ngaremara Ward on hygiene, sanitation practices and Covid-19 information, the partners hope to build community knowledge and resilience through sustainable approach, to addressing the most critical needs of the local community.
Kenya Red Cross Society Secretary General Asha Mohammed said:”With access to safe and clean water and community knowledge on hygiene sanitation practices, local communities are less susceptible to illness and the critical effects of drought in areas like Ngaremara.”
She said the WASH initiative aims to enable long-term access to safe water and sanitation knowledge that will support local communities, especially through the pandemic.
“We’re proud to partner with Nestlé Kenya and are thankful for this generous donation which has allowed us to support many vulnerable communities in managing the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic,” she added. The WASH initiatives are part of Nestlé’s commitment to creating shared value within the communities they operate in and improving access to water and sanitation across the value chain.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Nestlé has donated a total of Sh17.99million in food relief donations, cash transfer to vulnerable households, and water, sanitation and hygiene initiatives within Kenya, through the partnership with KRCS.
