How does water help a family in Nganyoi?

Before Rainworks started providing tanks, the villagers of Nganyoi had to fetch water from a dirty river many miles away. Water from wells and rivers can carry water borne diseases. Typhoid was a real problem amongst children in Nganyoi, as a result of drinking water from polluted rivers.

More about the water tanks

Most of the houses in Nganyoi and the surrounding area have corrugated iron roofs. These are perfect for channelling rainwater into gutters which are fixed around the house. Pipes from the gutters carry the rainwater into the Rainworks Water Tanks. A tap at the base of the tank allows easy access to the water, and a trough is cut into the ground so that water excess is drained into the fields. The tanks are easy to maintain, and only require draining and cleaning once a year.

The water tanks don't rely on expensive technology, and they won't breakdown or stop working.

But here's the best bit... one 15,000 litre Rainworks Water Tank will provide enough water to see an average household of 10 through the dry season.

In 1994 the first six water tanks, made from concrete, were constructed. Today we use more durable plastic tanks and the project has expanded – women in neighbouring villages have formed women’s groups in order to build their own water tanks.

In addition, water pumped from boreholes within the national park to a tap on the boundary helped establish a tree nursery. Now in existence for 15 years, the nursery has allowed villages to plant trees around their farms, reducing rainwater run-off and further conserving water supplies.