Three Months On: How Access to Water is Supporting New Opportunities in Olobelibel
- Jun 15
- 2 min read
When the Olobelibel community borehole was officially opened in March, it marked the beginning of a new chapter for the community. After years of water scarcity, families finally had access to a reliable, locally managed source of clean water.
Three months later, we are beginning to see how improved water access is supporting daily life and creating new opportunities for households across the community.
Reliable access to clean water
The borehole is now providing clean and safe water to households throughout Olobelibel, reducing the challenges families previously faced in accessing water for domestic use.
Community members have shared positive feedback on the project's impact, highlighting improvements in health, hygiene, and overall well-being. Access to water closer to home is helping to ease daily pressures and provide greater security for families.
Supporting women's livelihoods
One of the most encouraging developments has been the way women are using improved access to water to strengthen their livelihoods.
Women in the community have begun cultivating crops, including beans and vegetables, using water from the borehole. These activities are helping to improve household nutrition while also creating opportunities to generate income.
One women's group has already harvested 90 kilograms of beans, earning KSh 18,000 through sales. Their success demonstrates how access to water can help unlock new economic opportunities and support greater financial resilience within households.
Strengthening local enterprise
The borehole is also supporting the operations of a women's dairy plant in the community.
Reliable access to water is helping the dairy enterprise meet its daily needs, including cleaning and processing activities. By reducing water-related challenges, the borehole is contributing to improved efficiency and supporting the continued growth of the enterprise.
Building resilience for the future
Recent rainfall means that livestock owners are currently able to rely on existing earth dams for watering their animals. As a result, livestock have not yet begun using water from the borehole.
However, the borehole remains an important source of resilience for the community. During future dry periods, when water levels in earth dams decline, the borehole will provide a reliable alternative source of water for both households and livestock.
Supporting long-term sustainability
The borehole is already generating income through water sales, helping to support its long-term operation and maintenance.
By the end of May, KSh 15,000 had been collected through water sales. This revenue contributes to the ongoing management of the system and helps ensure that the community can continue to benefit from reliable water access in the years ahead.
Looking ahead
When we first shared the story of the Olobelibel borehole, we spoke about access to water as a foundation for wider community development.
Just a few months later, we are already seeing evidence of that potential. From supporting household wellbeing and improving food security to enabling women's economic activities and strengthening community resilience, access to water is creating benefits that extend far beyond the borehole itself.
We look forward to continuing to work alongside the Olobelibel community and sharing further updates as the project continues to support local development.
