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Kenya Program

Mayanja-Kibuke Sustainable Safe Water Supply

In 2010, a pastor of a small church requested help to improve the water supply in a rural community Mayanga-Kibuke, about 2 km west of the Bungoma, Kenya.

With the volunteers from the EWB Chicagoland Professional Chapter, the Indianapolis Chapter led for first of six trips to the community.  The first assessment trip in 2011 determined that the community consisted of over 3000 homes and nearly 20,000 people spread over a rural area of about 40 square kilometers, solely relying on the fetching water from 36 spring sources.  Over three subsequent trips in 2012, 2013 and 2014, six spring boxes were rehabilitated by EWB volunteers with assistance from community members. In 2015 an additional six spring boxes were constructed remotely by local craftsmen trained by EWB during the prior visits.

Wacholi Footbridge

During the construction of one of the new spring boxes for the Mayanja Kibuke Water Supply Project, the team inspected a nearby footbridge (photo) that was used daily by 400 primary school children that spanned a river about 20 feet wide by 15 feet deep.  The existing footbridges would frequently wash away during the rainy season and rebuilt with any available scrap wood.  The chapter decided to design and construct a new footbridge (photo) using 50-foot long eucalyptus timbers (treated with motor oil) that are ready available (photo), supported by reinforced concrete abutments set back from the river bank and with the bridge deck setting about 4 feet above the top of bank and above the flood elevation based on testimonials from the local residents on how high the river floods.  The footbridge was completed by chapter team members and local laborers in March 2016 (photo).  During the rainy season in August – September 2018, the bridge collapsed due to flooding and erosion around one of the abutments.  Fortunately, no one was using the bridge at the time of the collapse. Hopefully another EWB chapter experienced in the design and construction of suspension bridges will design and construct a new footbridge well away from any potential floodwaters and erosion.
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