Follow us over the course of a year as we help the community of Matopeni in Nairobi, Kenya, build clean water and sanitation facilities.
Having received £30,000 from Christian Aid, the project is now beginning to gather momentum.
Plans take shape
Local partner organisation Maji na Ufanisi has brought together community members with representatives from the local government and they have agreed on what work needs to be done and when.
Many members of the community will be involved both in the construction of the water points and new drains, and in the running of the new facilities when they are completed.
Find out more from Hosiah Maina Njogu, a mason from Matopeni, who drew up the plans for the project:
Community benefits
The water project will benefit the whole community.
‘Faeces and urine contaminate the water. There is a very high chance of getting diarrhoea and typhoid,’ explains Catherine Kithuku, founder of a community group focused on improving living standards in the settlement.
‘But I think through Christian Aid, when they bring the change in our community, all those things will have reduced.’
For Mary Ann Kanini, who lives in the Matopeni slum, the project’s health benefits will have additional significance. Read Mary Ann’s diary entry.
A lasting legacy
It has been a sad month for the Kithuku family, who have been a driving force behind securing support to bring these new facilities to Matopeni.
On 2 June, Joseph Kithuku, who appeared in the spring edition of Christian Aid News, passed away after a long battle with cancer.
Joseph had always been a source of great inspiration to his daughter Catherine, forgoing a comfortable retirement to ensure his children were well-educated.
‘My parents have inspired us,’ she says. ‘They have taught us to love and forgive other people.’
The determination of Joseph’s children to improve life for their community, and their success in bringing change, is the enduring legacy of a great man.
