For the last year, our Water is Life Kenya team has been putting the pieces together to bring clean water to Lositeti, Kenya. Hundreds of donors, including local Rotarians, have been a critical part of this project. Now, after months of hard work and persistence, we’re almost ready to hand a brand new borehole over to the Lositeti community.
This deep borehole well, which is now complete and functioning, could not have been possible without the dedication of our generous partners from Newark Rotary, Rotary District 7630, and their eight partner clubs who raised funds to equip the well with a water pump and solar panels. Here’s an update on the recent work that’s been done at Lositeti thanks to these incredible relationships.
Water Pump and Solar Panels
One of the last steps in building a long-lasting borehole is the installation of the water pump. For the Lositeti community, this is especially important because the water will be pumped more than a mile away from the water collection site. This design was agreed upon because the main community hub is far away from the borehole site which was (accurately) predicted to yield good water flow. We also installed solar power—thirty 540-kilowatt solar panels—to power the pump at the site. As soon as there was a break in the rain a few weeks ago, local contractors installed this pump and power system.
These solar panels will generate enough energy to run the water pump and pump the water up the hill to its holding tank. The panels and pump were generously donated by our friends at the Newark Rotary Club, Rotary District 7630, and eight additional partner clubs. Collectively, they raised a total of $16,350 to fund this part of Lositeti’s borehole infrastructure. This is what it looks like to put “Service above Self” for others.
The Importance of Partnerships
We love working with selfless Rotarians because they know how to mobilize support for others. Not only does Rotary’s emphasis of “Service Above Self” align with our mission, but one of Rotary’s Seven Areas of Focus aligns perfectly with our WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) projects. Because of this overlap, we’ve worked on other water projects with Rotary International before. Completed in 2012, our Olepolos Community Borehole project was funded by a Rotary International Global Grant sponsored by the Dover Colonial Rotary Club. This deep borehole well is still functioning today.
For Lositeti, however, we and our Rotary friends decided to fund a specific part of the borehole project by earning a district grant and enrolling partner clubs. In this way, the Lositeti project enrolled more Rotarians and had a larger Delmarva footprint than an ordinary Global Grant. By traveling to different clubs across District 7630, we were able to spread awareness about the need for water in Kajiado County. The result was a successful project at Lositeti that was supported by more donors and partners than any previous WILK project.
This project could not have been accomplished without Newark Rotary’s incoming president, Rotarian and Paul Harris Fellow Jerry Bilton. Throughout 2023, Jerry mobilized his connections to set up talks at Rotary Clubs across District 7630. He traveled with our Outreach and Operations Manager, Aaron Lemma, to co-present the project at many of these clubs. Throughout the fund-and-awareness-raising process, Jerry communicated regularly with project partners and the WILK team to ensure everything was in order for success. The time and effort Jerry and Aaron put into enlisting a total of nine Rotary clubs and earning a District 7630 grant was substantial.
The mission of Rotary is to connect people with a shared vision, and Jerry and his Newark Rotary club have done just that for us. Their commitment to service shows us just how much can be achieved when you can get everyone involved. We are indebted to each of our partners who helped bring clean water and new life to Lositeti: Newark Delaware Rotary Club; Newark Star Rotary Club; Camden-Wyoming Rotary Club; Dover Colonial Rotary Club-Dover Delaware; Dover Capital City Rotary; Dover Downtown Rotary Club; Rotary of Kent Island; Rotary Club of St. Michaels; MOT Rotary Club; Rotary District 7630; Project Leader Jerry Bilton; and individual contributors: DG John Magher; DGND Ken Montville; Michael Friedberg; Sue and Johnathan Simon.
Because of their commitment to Lositeti, Water is Life Kenya is proud to honor District 7630 and this project’s champion, Jerry Bilton, into our prestigious Kilimanjaro Club. Thank you for your inspiring generosity!
What’s Next for Lositeti
To protect the solar panels from animal interference, an electric fence (also funded by this Rotary effort) has been installed. Currently, Lositeti’s Water Management Committee is getting the hang of managing their borehole. Soon we’ll hand the borehole over to the Lositeti community, which will benefit tremendously from their new water source. People are still recovering from the loss of livestock, so the new water supply will aid in their recovery. We anticipate the official Handover Ceremony to take place over the summer.
Lositeti will surely have reason to celebrate this year. Among other things, the availability of clean, potable water at a local source will support the community’s women and children. The obvious benefits include reducing illnesses and supporting the health of both people and animals. But having a close, dependable water source empowers women and allows them to generate income that supports themselves and their children.
Communities thrive with the simple gift of water. Over the last 17 years, we’ve helped nearly 100,000 people transform in so many positive ways after lifting the burden of searching for water. We currently have two more water projects in the works now that Lositeti’s borehole is almost finished. We can’t wait to develop more partnerships and provide more Kenyans with clean water access.
SAVE THE DATE: Wine into Water — Celebrating a Job “Well” Done with Newark Rotary & Partners
Together with Jerry, Newark Rotary, and Newark Star Rotary, WILK is hosting a celebration in honor of the Lositeti Handover Ceremony with a “Wine into Water” event. On Friday, July 12, we’ll be at Deerfield Wines from 5:00-7:00 pm. You can participate in a silent auction of art donated by Newark Arts Alliance and shop our collection of Kenyan beaded handicrafts. There will also be light fare and wine tasting provided. Join us as we come together in fellowship and rejoice at how much partnerships can accomplish!
