Youths for piped water; a case of Mudungu Community Water

Youth plumbers being supervised at work in Gavudya village

Many youths watched as drillers cut ground, shred rocks and threw gravel out. Then Water! First muddy foam, second clearer – at last!  For weeks Mudungu Primary was occupied with big select machines.

30 years (a generation) ago a water project had gone under and efforts to revive at the very spot kept failing. This time round, courtesy of FLOCA through Vihiga County directorate of Climate Change, a breakthrough was found.

Expertise ranged from mid-aged men to youths. Those that drilled, cased, test pumping and tank construction were of the same age bracket. When the call for trenches came, many local young men and women turned up for the works.

Drillers at the Mudungu site.

It was all a learning process as I took pictures, asked questions and observed the coordinated efforts. A multimillion project bringing together different expertise and tools perhaps spoke of the need to also see the inputs and safeguard at best.  

Here was hope. What a save of time for the youths who want are giving a best shot at life to do other things. The young not to bear the water weight from steep valley bottoms. As the aged worry less about who will help them with water.

A young boy fetching water from Wandolovo spring. Onlooking are his agemates who are also charged with water fetching from their homes. Today their homes are connected to water. 

I would be proposed the chairperson. And with humility I took up the challenge. A youth-led water project. The mission being to spearhead access to water – as it was safe and available.

Though only two youths formed the 9-member Mudungu water committee, addition of two community youth plumbers made it a fair youth input – versatile enough to handle demand and receive issues.

Initial committee’s work would include preparations to take over from the contractor who had connected 12 households as per BQ, keep connecting and also mobilize for formalization and ownership of the project by the committee.

A Community Based Organization certificate that we managed to get, making the communal water activities official.

As at September 2024 the total connections were at 76. Enablers are mainly people and youths working in Nairobi who want to see their parents or grandparents connected. In most, the connected allow others to fetch as they plan to connect too. With rural economies, it takes some saving to have it all ready for connection.

During the 10^th October Mazingira Day, youths from Vihiga WASH [Water, Sanitation and Hygiene] parliament came to plant trees at the site. We also live-fenced. The weather has been mainly rainy for 2024 and a year to come the place will have a facelift.

Receiving of trees at Mudungu Water for planting during Mazingira day 10/10/2024

All this is happening on volunteer basis as the project is still a baby. And as it is nursed to self-sustenance, so is youth leadership around it is expected to be embraced.  

Today, informed by the demographics, opportunities are for youths. To set them as low hanging community fruits is to induct, guide and challenge them to take lead - all for sustenance. When they own, they easily attract fellow youths in. With horned skills they are versatile enough to sniff opportunities that are now ‘youth-branded’.