The Lack of Water for Life

The Lack of Water for Life

Cheru is a 5 year old girl living in rural Kenya. On a regular basis, she walks 5 miles to retrieve water from the nearest waterhole to her village (Water within reach). Not only is this journey a treacherous one for a young child and keeps her from going to school, but the water is unclean and likely to cause a water-borne illness. Cheru is not the only one who’s life is in threat because of this. For the 46 million people living in Kenya, it is difficult to get ahold of the most basic necessity: water (Kenya’s water).

Water is the source of all life. Unfortunately, the availability for clean water is scarce in most of sub-Saharan Africa, resulting from several economic, environmental, and political reasons (Walker). In Kenya, there are 55 public water service providers, of which only nine provide a continuous, clean water supply (Kenya’s Water). The shortage of clean water sources for both drinking and sanitation create an especially precarious environment for children. Poor sanitation and dirty drinking water contribute to the 36% mortality rate of children under the age of 5, as children become more susceptible to diseases (Goldberg). Simply put, without clean water and sanitation, survival becomes a deep concern.

In contrast to the United States, where clean water is widely accessible, 41% of Kenyans depend on unclean water as their main source of water (Kenya’s water). This issue stems from several other prevalent problems in the country. Climate change plays a substantial role into the availability of water (Goldberg). Since 2013, Kenya has been in a drought with inconsistent amounts of rainfall, worsening the already inadequate water supply (Water in Crisis). The antiquated irrigation system and the country’s economic instability are also contributing factors to the water crisis. Without proper bathroom facilities and effective irrigation systems funded by the government, sewage is often dumped into rivers and canals. This roots into an even larger problem, as many depend on these same rivers for their daily drinking water intake (Water in Crisis). With a continuously increasing population, Kenya’s economic stability is not improving, therefore preventing the income of more water and sanitation resources.

It can be hard to imagine how only one cup of water can be a potential killer. Over 150,000 children in Kenya die each year from diseases such as cholera and typhoid, both of which originate from dirty drinking water (Walker). Without access to proper sanitation materials, such as faucets for washing hands, children become exposed to lethal illnesses. Factually, 80% of diseases trace back to the quality of water (Kenya’s Water). Daily, children walk many miles to carry water back to their villages. As a result, children struggle to attend school only to get water that is a danger to their lives (Walker). Children’s lives are put on the line because of something as simple as water.

Although Kenya is struggling to improve their country in terms of water and sanitation quality, there are organizations helping Kenya go down the path towards a healthier country. Water.org, a nonprofit charity program, has been working with the Kenyan government and the villagers since 2013 in order to supply the rural citizens with more water fountains where they can retrieve their daily water for both drinking and washing (Kenya’s water). As Rael, a villager in Kenya, said, “if we had water, we would have time for other things. We would grow vegetables and go out to do business” (Water within reach). It’s clear: the absence of clean water complicates life in numerous ways.



Works Cited:

Goldberg, Eleanor. “About 500 Children Die Daily In Sub-Saharan Africa Due To Lack Of Clean Water, Sanitation.” The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 16 Dec. 2015. huffingtonpost.com/entry/about-500-children-die-daily-in-sub-saharan-africa-due-to-lack-of-clean-water-sanitation.

“Kenya's Water Crisis - Kenya's Water In 2019.” Water.org. https://water.org/our-impact/kenya/.

“Sanitation and Education: How Poor Conditions Keep Children Out of School.” Lifewater

International, 16 Dec. 2014, lifewater.org/blog/sanitation-education/.

Walker, Corah, et al. “Africa Is Failing to Close the Gap on Providing Water and Sanitation.” The

Conversation,  16 Sept. 2018. http://theconversation.com/africa-is-failing-to-close-the-gap-on-providing-water-and-sanitation.

“Water In Crisis - Spotlight Kenya.” The Water Project, thewaterproject.org/water-crisis/water-in-crisis-kenya.

Worldvision. “Water within Reach: Compare Two 5-Year-Olds' Walk for Water.” World Vision, 5

Mar. 2019. www.worldvision.org/clean-water-news-stories