The Starehe Girl’s borehole water project in Kenya was well worth it. Thanks to Chalice donors, 720 bright young women now have access to clean, fresh water.
It is a splash in the ocean for the global water crises, and these girls are overflowing with gratitude and happiness. “It was a prayer answered,” says Sr. Jane, Starehe site director. “Undeniably, this project came at the right time.”
Starehe Girls’ Centre is a world-class boarding secondary school for academically talented girls who come from disadvantaged families in Kenya. Starehe Girls’ enrollment is now ten times higher than it was at the school’s inception in 2005. With the increasing number of admissions, the Centre was experiencing water challenges since their old borehole well frequently broke.
To provide sites with new running water, such as a borehole well, it requires a large project full of planning and funding since they have to consider the depth of the drilling, the complexity of the equipment, and the groundwork. However, when it is all said and done, borehole wells are worthwhile.
Chalice and Starehe Girls’ Centre site joined forces. Thanks to donors who are passionate about giving clean water, they could drill a new borehole to provide long-term access.
The borehole, decked out with a solar-powered pump, will ensure that the students and staff have potable water and enough for cleaning and personal hygiene. The well will also increase the farm’s productivity via irrigation, which in turn will produce more vegetables that are a nutritional boost to the girls’ diets.
Their school farm plays a key role for feeding staff and students. The farm has reduced their food expenses significantly; it is a highly productive and diverse school farm. This includes a poultry barn, cows, pigs, greenhouses, crop fields, and apiary. This provides food options that are both nutritious and healthy, which results in better academic performance.
Students, teachers, school management, and Chalice staff gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking.
It took two days of continuous drilling to reach the 200-meter-deep stable water table. Then, they tested the water quality, and when approved, installed their stainless-steel pipes and solar pump.
“The Starehe fraternity is so grateful” Sr. Jane says, “It is our sincere prayers that God will bless all who contributed to this noble cause.”
Now, not only do the students have clean water, but so do their abundant farms and greenhouses. Their plentiful water will bear fruit, literally, for decades to come.
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