2023-24 Trócaire Annual ROI Annual Report
Download HereHow Trócaire helped thousands of farmers to access water after recurrent droughts
Samwel Kariuki is a farmer in the Tharaka-Nithi District, central Kenya. Due to a recurring drought for many years, Kariuki struggled to grow crops on his two acres of land and had to travel to urban areas for work. As water was scarce in his village, Kariuki and his family would have to walk four kilometres each day to collect water. Many nights, Kariuki and his family would go to bed hungry.
Kariuki is one of thousands of farmers in the region coping daily with the effects of climate change. Average temperatures have risen by 1C since the 1970s, and the rains, which once came like clockwork, are no longer reliable.
This means that crops wither and die and with no reserves or money in the bank, many families are forced to beg for food or go to bed hungry. Many families have also been forced to leave their land and move to the cities.
In 2012, Trócaire and partner Caritas Meru started construction of a water pipe in the Tharaka-Nithi District to connect some 8,000 people to water.
With funding from Irish Aid and Australian Aid, the water pipe – the Gitgo-Kamainde pipeline – runs for 40km, sourcing water from the Ruguti River. The water pipe provided connected people with enough water for around half an acre of land, allowing them to grow crops – even when drought hits.
Kariuki is one of the 8,000 people who benefited from the Gitgo-Kamainde pipeline. He received training from Caritas on farm management and income generation. He was also supported to construct a concrete-lined pond to store water for irrigation.
Kariuki says the Gitgo-Kamainde pipeline was a “game-changer” for his community. The family are now able to grow a wide variety of crops such as tomatoes, kale, maize, avocado and sweet potato. Kariuki says he can now feed and educate his children.
“I don’t have to do casual labour anymore or buy food because I grow all my own. I have plenty of vegetables, fruits and I have maize all the time because I plant in portions which mature at different times. My wife doesn’t go far to fetch water as she used to do before. My farm these days is my employer from where I get food and school fees for my children,” Kariuki says.
He added that his family no longer go to bed hungry and his family eats three meals a day.
Trócaire is celebrating 50 years of working together with partners, people who we support, staff, donors and supporters to create positive and lasting change. One Day showcases the profound impact of these collective efforts, highlighting the countless “One Days” where lives have been transformed. Together, for a just world. Explore more One Day stories here. |