This archive report was first published on 19 September 2019.
Residents of Mukengesya village in Kenya's Ukambani region have been facing perennial water shortages despite being close to the Seven Forks hydropower complex dams and the Masinga-Kitui water pipeline.
The village, located at the boundary of Kitui and Machakos counties, has suffered years of neglect by successive administrations, leaving residents feeling forgotten.
According to Mary Muuo, a teacher in the area, mothers and children have struggled with common ailments associated with water scarcity.
"After exhausting the little rain water harvested from the roof, my husband who used to work in Nairobi had to bring home at least two 20-litre jerrycans for drinking and cooking every weekend because what was available locally was extremely saline," said Mrs Muuo.
However, the situation took a dramatic turn when Dutch national Sven Meijer, a real estate tycoon with business interests in London and The Hague, visited the area in March this year and decided to sponsor the drilling of a borehole.
Mr Meijer, who was on a mission to establish a children's home in the region with his Kenyan friend June Kuria, was shocked by the acute water shortage and decided to prioritize the drilling of the borehole.
From March, Mr Meijer swung into action and engaged a local firm to do geological surveys and drill the borehole, which was completed during his second visit to the area in May.
The borehole, which cost Sh1.7 million, yielded enough water to ease the burden of water scarcity for more than 500 households in the area.
The residents celebrated with song and dance, thanking Mr Meijer for his generosity and expressing their gratitude for the relief from water scarcity.
