Kenya Water Project - Kaguma: the origin story
The Kenya Water Project - Kaguma began in 2024 with the vision of Amon Rwito, a Tallahassee teacher, who grew up in Kaguma, Kenya. In 2023 he once again witnessed the daily struggle for water during a visit to his family in Kaguma. Women in the village continued to carry water from the river a mile away for their daily needs as they had for many years.
The first well
Inspired to bring water directly to villagers' homes, Amon initiated the project by personally funding the first hand-dug well.
Expansion for water storage
With funding from Element3 Church in Tallahassee, a water storage tank was constructed next to the well, and a solar-powered pump installed. The men of Kaguma, with the church's financial backing, built the water storage tank and installed waterlines to eleven homesites.
Homesite storage tanks for the first eleven sites, with twenty families benefitting
Each homesite featured a 5,000 liter storage tank shared among several families. While the initial well provided water for part of the year, dry seasons and repeated droughts highlighted the ongoing need for a more sustainable solution.
Drouth limits the well
When a regional drouth struck, the hand-dug well became undependable. Men would carry a pump to the river, install pipes, and pump water back to the storage tank. Then the equipment had to be picked up and stored. When the large tank ran dry, the process had to be repeated. This was not a long-term solution! A new plan was needed to keep the families supplied with water.
A new vision for a dependable water supply
Amon and a team at Element3 Church developed a new vision for a permanent solution: a well drilled deep into the aquifer that would supply water even during drouth. Fundraising began for what became known as KWP-2, Kenya Water Project Phase 2. A concert by Avis Berry and friends raised over $12,000.
Fresh water from over 400 feet underground!
With the concert money in hand, a contractor was hired from the town of Meru and drilling began on a new well. After drilling approximately 460 feet down, the well began producing a large amount of fresh water!
2025 service expansion
Once the drilled well was complete, we were able to add about a dozen additional sites to the water system.
The future?
With a dependable, safe water supply to their home storage tank, the quality of life has been improved for over 200 people in Kaguma. What's next? During the remainder of 2026 we will be evaluating the next directions for this project. Join us in this exciting time!