Commissioning of a Borehole in Marinya
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the Government of Kenya (GoK) officially inaugurated the Marinya A Ruibi Primary School borehole in Meru County. The main objective of the borehole water supply and irrigation system is to improve reliability and access of water for multiple uses.
FAO works with the GoK to build a food-secure country, free of hunger and malnutrition, where food and agriculture contribute to improving the living standards of all, especially the poorest, in an economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable manner.
In her keynote address, FAO Kenya Representative, Carla Mucavi noted that it is not possible to achieve food and nutrition security without water in adequate quantities and of good quality. In addition, “depending solely on rain-fed agriculture is no longer possible; we need to think of other ways of producing food without necessarily depending on rains which are becoming erratic,” she said, adding that the reality of Climate Change therefore requires that farmers must change their ways of production by adopting Climate Smart Agriculture good practices.
In addition, she said “Water availability will improve hygiene and sanitation conditions in the schools for the wellbeing of pupils and students, and alleviate burden carried by women and girls in this community by walking long distances in search of water, and spare time to focus on other priorities. It will also limit their exposure to harmful situations such as abuse and exploitation along the way”.
On her part, the CS Ministry of Public Service, Gender, Senior Citizen Affairs and Special Programmes, Prof. Margaret Kobia thanked FAO for the 15 million shillings funding towards the borehole reiterating the importance of the borehole to the school and the neighboring community. “The new borehole will provide enough quality water to pupils and students, and nearby communities, incidences of absenteeism will be a thing of the past and no learner will lose learning time because they have gone to either fetch water or are dealing with water borne illness.”
“If you give women clean water, 50% of their problems are solved. Having water is special as it will go a long way to boost the living standards of the people of Marinya,” said CS Kobia.
The Marinya A Ruibi Primary School borehole project will go a long way in providing the much-needed reliable water supply for domestic use, livestock use and irrigation as guided by the FAO global Strategic Framework, which is anchored on the Four Betters: namely Better Production; Better Nutrition; Better Environment and Better Life- leaving no one behind. This project was funded by the European Union.
Marinya A Ruibi Primary Water Project
The borehole water project entails the following: Drilling and equipping of the borehole, Solar power system, a reliable and clean-energy solution for pumping the water; pipes for supplying water from the borehole to the users; two 10,000 liters raised water storage tanks; Drip irrigation of two One-acre plots each for the primary and secondary schools respectively. Upon completion, the borehole will improve food and nutrition security, hygiene and sanitation in the two schools. This will support Competency Based Curriculum, the 4K Club and the Secondary school agriculture projects, greening of the environment, among other agricultural activities; and finally ensure a reliable domestic water supply system for the primary and secondary schools, 3 churches and a dispensary, the neighbouring community as well as for livestock.
The CEC of Health in Meru County reiterated that the operationalisation of the dispensary was thwarted by shortage of reliable water supply. Once the borehole is complete and water is connected, the dispensary will be made functional.
To realise this project, FAO is collaborating in the conception, design and implementation of the borehole project in partnership with the government of Kenya, various Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the National Government and the County Government of Meru. In particular, the Marinya A Ruibi Primary School and its alumni, the National Irrigation Authority, the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation.
For More Information contact:
Pauline Akolo
Communication Specialist FAO-Kenya