Celebrating a Fresh Start: Nooriro’s Borehole Opening Ceremony

On June 18, Water is Life Kenya (WILK) and members of the Lions Club of Nairobi Greater were on hand for the Opening Ceremony of the Nooriro borehole. But it’s been a long road for the Maasai in Nooriro to get the clean water they desperately needed. Let’s take a look at the series of events that led us to this joyous day.

You Gotta Have Friends

For a long time, Nooriro residents weren’t able to live on their land. Instead, they were forced to squat a ten-hour walk away near the only available water. After assessing the situation, we decided to dig a borehole so they’d have access to water in Nooriro and, therefore, could come home again. As we’ve discussed before, there are many steps that precede drilling in order to ensure that the well will continue to run after it’s been installed. Once a hydrogeological survey team determined that enough water was available underground, we developed a plan for the borehole

Before drilling could begin, we had to raise money. That’s when our friend Paul from the Lions Club of Pike Creek, along with the Lions Club of Nairobi Greater and the Lions Club International Foundation pulled their resources to pay for digging the well. Without the Lions’ generosity, it would’ve taken much longer to save for all of the expenses needed to drill the borehole.

Paul was on hand in February for the early drilling in Nooriro, but it wasn’t until we’d drilled almost 240 meters that we tapped into the aquifer. After we tested the water, we began building the infrastructure that would allow the people in Nooriro to utilize it. None of this would have been possible without our partnership with the Lions and their commitment to serving others.

Opening Day in Nooriro

A couple weeks ago, the last of the construction was finished. The pump house, water tank, and latrines were installed, the water pump and generator were added, and everything was hooked up to the energy grid. Finally we could celebrate the arrival of fresh, clean water to the people in Nooriro.

During the ceremony, everyone sang and danced with joy. The Lions then distributed enough food for 300 Nooriro families—approximately 2,100 people—to last for a month. They, too, were given gifts to thank them for their generosity. More importantly, the lives of this community were changed for the better.

Love In Action

The Nooriro borehole has given hope to people who, until recently, had none. With the opening of the new well, people have begun moving back home. Many are talking about how their lives will change for good. They have plans to build a school, and maybe even a health clinic.

We’ve spent sixteen years setting almost thirty groups of people up for success. The people in Nooriro have benefitted from the support of many people, but so many more Maasai face similar difficulties. We hope this same generosity will be given to future projects that we have planned.