The residents of Aragadud in the Sankuri ward are filled with joy after a non-governmental organization completed the construction of a borehole in the drought-hit area.
Speaking after launching the project, Mount of Mercy's Kenya's project coordinator, Shinaz Abdiwahid, emphasized the importance of collaboration among donors to support programs that can make a positive impact on people's lives.
Together with Garissa Township's Member of Parliament, Dekow Mohamed, Shinaz highlighted that their charity organization has been consistently providing water to families affected by drought in the county through water tracking.
They urged other stakeholders not to wait for large amounts of funds to be raised, but instead to make small but impactful donations.
Amid a devastating drought that has affected millions of Kenyans, particularly in the Northern region, where pastoralists have lost a significant number of livestock, the implementation of the six million projects has come at a critical time.
Officials have reported that after assessing the needs of the local communities in the area, the project took approximately one month to complete.
As a result, locals who used to have to travel long distances on foot to access water are now experiencing much-needed relief.
“We have done other projects in other parts of the world but this is the first one in Kenya. We are hoping to construct clinics for the women, Madrasa and other projects,” she said.
Garissa Township's Member of Parliament, Dekow Mohamed, expressed that the project's timing is crucial as the local community has been disenfranchised by the ongoing drought and the resulting lack of access to water.
The lawmaker expressed gratitude towards Mount of Mercy for their generous support, but also emphasized the need for the government to invest in water projects, stating that water is essential to human life and no one can survive without it.
“A place will remain a ghost if there is no water, children cannot go to school, hospitals cannot be operationalised. We, therefore, appealed to the government to venture into this kind of project to support communities,” he said.
The Member of Parliament made an appeal to other well-wishers to support the communities affected by the drought, stressing that any form of assistance provided to them would greatly contribute to improving their situation and their well-being.
The event was also graced by the presence of Hussein Maalim, a former Member of Parliament for Garissa and minister during Moi's era, as well as several members of the Garissa County Assembly.