Project
Kibera Schools
Project Complete!
Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO) has today announced the expansion of Africa’s first aerial water piping system for less privileged communities in partnership with Safaricom Foundation. The partnership aims to scale up the provision of clean and accessible water to 84,000 people in the informal settlement of Kibera, most of whom have been forced to rely on predatory private water vendors for their daily water needs.
The idea of an aerial water piping system was conceptualized as a way around the complicated and costly logistical hurdle of distributing water across East Africa’s largest informal settlement. Safaricom Foundation will join hands to scale the landmark project - pioneered by SHOFCO and the Pentair Foundation –to build an additional 10 water kiosks.
“This project is a bold answer to one of the most pressing needs in Kibera; access to clean and safe water. More than two thirds of the world population is living in cities. The resulting social instability, risk to critical infrastructure, potential water crises and the potential of devastating spread of diseases are a reality. Kibera and other informal settlements in Nairobi are not an exception. We are proud of what we are doing here today. The collaborative efforts between communities and the private sector provide a transformative opportunity to address key societal challenges. We are grateful to The Safaricom Foundation for partnering with SHOFCO as positive change agents in Kibera,” said Kennedy Odede, the CEO and Co-founder of SHOFCO.
In 2012, SHOFCO kicked off the clean water initiative with a 100,000-liter water tower – the largest clean water access point in Kibera - built by Newman’s Own Foundation and serving 4,200 individuals. The aerial system, designed and supported through a partnership with the Pentair Foundation will serve 42,000 individuals, and Safaricom Foundation will double this impact to reach 84,000, leveraging and scaling the success thus far to new heights. This unique water system is the first of its kind in an urban slum. The low-cost practice of the infrastructure will supply the community with water that is 60 percent lower than the private vendors.
H2O for Life is not a WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) project implementer. We have partnerships with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) implementing WASH in Schools projects around the world. Our NGO partners match funds needed for each school project. We also have a generous donor that provides us with an interest-free loan that, along with matching funds, allows for many projects to be started or possibly even completed before total funds have been raised. In rare situations we reserve the right to reallocate funds to alternate project(s).
Questions? Ask us at 651-756-7577 or info@h2oforlifeschools.org.
