WUNRN

http://www.wunrn.com

 

WOMEN & WATER - CLIMATE CHANGE - CLIMATE CRISES

 

Isis International - Women in Action Publication

http://www.isiswomen.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1351&Itemid=10

 

02WiA2009_cover150dpi

 

WATER & WOMEN IN EAST AFRICA

 

By Annabelle Waititu

 

Direct Link to Full Article:

http://www.isiswomen.org/phocadownload/print/isispub/wia/wia2009-2/2wia09_02features_waititu.pdf

 

Veronica Nzoki has been a resident of Endui in the Mwingi District in Eastern Kenya for almost 50 years. She could still remember how the water flowed throughout the year, enabling them to grow food that will help them survive the dry spells. But this is no longer possible today.

Rains have become erratic that the rivers are dry most of the time, resulting in higher chances for crop failure. As she recounted the impact of the recent drought that lasted for three years, “Crops have failed for the last two seasons and our livestock have been starving to death. For the first time, Kiiya Dam which was constructed by the colonial government more than 50 years ago, has dried up completely in 2009. This has never happened here before.”

Women like her were certainly not spared especially as water collection has become a full-time job. This has prevented them from engaging in other activities and tapping other opportunities. As she described a typical day, “We leave at six o’clock in the morning to the nearest spring. We find a long queue. By the time we draw water and get back home, it is well past mid-day. This leaves us with no energy for other activities. For those of us with small businesses, we have to close them down or leave them unattended in order to businesses.”

Although mothers are delegating tasks, more and more children, especially girls are becoming involved. But they are also losing the opportunities to study. Income levels have also fallen that it has become difficult to send children to school. Although some animals have survived, they could not be sold as they have lost significant amount of body mass........