International Water And Health Alliances

2023 WAS A CHALLENGING YEAR FOR KENYANS, PARTICULARLY HALF THE POPULATION WITH FEW RESOURCES AS THE KENYA SHILLING'S VALUE TO THE DOLLAR CONTINUED TO DECLINE, 123 KSH/$ IN JANUARY, 2023 TO 151 KSH/$ IN DECEMBER, 2023.AS IN PREVIOUS YEARS, HOWEVER, IWHA'S SUPPORT OF THE FRIENDS OF THE OLD (FOTO) MADE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE 70,000 CITIZENS OF LOWER NYAKACH. FOTO'S MAIN PROJECT IS IMPLEMENTING A REPLICABLE STRATEGY TO ELIMINATE WATERBORNE DISEASE FOR THE 70,000 CITIZENS OF LOWER NYAKACH WHO HAVE UNIMPROVED, CONTAMINATED DRINKING WATER SOURCES. THE STRATEGY INVOLVES FOTO STAFF CONDUCTING WATER MICROBIOLOGY TESTING AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL WITH A PORTABLE MICROBIOLOGY LABORATORY (PML) TO DEMONSTRATE THAT DRINKING WATER SOURCES POSE A VERY HIGH DISEASE RISK. TREATING WATER WITH THE CHLORINE SOLUTION AQUAGUARD, KILLS THE GERMS AND MAKES THE WATER SAFE TO DRINK. LOWER NYAKACH IS THE ONE PLACE IN THE WORLD WHERE A COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATION HAS ELIMINATED WATERBORNE DISEASE. THE FOTO PROJECT IS AN EXAMPLE THAT COULD BE REPLICATED IN VILLAGES WORLDWIDE WHERE TWO BILLION PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO SAFE DRINKING WATER.FROM JANUARY THROUGH DECEMBER 2023, FOTO STAFF IN ALL 13 LOCATIONS LED 2 TRAINING SESSIONS ON WATER TESTING WITH THE PML & AQUAGUARD DISINFECTION EVERY MONTH FOR A TOTAL OF 312 TRAINING SESSIONS DURING THE YEAR. "ALL GOOD THINGS MUST BE DONE AGAIN AND AGAIN FOREVER," APPLIES TO TEACHING ABOUT ALWAYS TREATING DRINKING WATER IN LOWER NYAKACH. IWHA PROVIDES FOTO WITH FUNDS TO BUY AND DISTRIBUTE 9,312 BOTTLES OF AQUAGUARD EVERY MONTH TO HOUSEHOLDS AND SCHOOLS.AS IN PREVIOUS YEARS SINCE 2011, IWHA FUNDED MONTHLY DISTRIBUTION OF FREE READING GLASSES TO THE ELDERLY IN A LOCATION, TO RESTORE THE DIGNITY AND USEFULNESS OF READING AND DOING CLOSE WORK, AS THERE ARE NO INEXPENSIVE READING GLASSES IN KENYA. IWHA SENT FOTO 11 BOXES WITH 2362 READING GLASSES IN 2023. AT EACH DISTRIBUTION, IWHA PROVIDED $100 EXTRA SO THAT FOTO COULD PROVIDE GLASSES RECIPIENTS WITH A GOOD MEAL OF RICE AND BEANS IN ADDITION TO MANDAZIS (DONUT-LIKE PASTRIES) AND KENYA TEA (WITH MILK AND SPICES). THE GOOD MEAL WAS LIKELY THE BEST FOOD MANY GLASSES RECIPIENTS HAD FOR WEEKS.TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM OF HUNGER AND FOOD INSECURITY, IWHA ONCE AGAIN PROVIDED FOTO WITH FUNDS TO PURCHASE AND DISTRIBUTE 2600 2KG PACKAGES OF CERTIFIED SERADO SORGHUM SEED TO 200 IMPOVERISHED ELDERLY HOUSEHOLDS IN EACH OF THE 13 LOCATIONS, A TOTAL OF 2,600 PACKAGES DISTRIBUTED. HOUSEHOLDS WERE SELECTED BY CONSULTATION WITH CHIEFS AND VILLAGE ELDERS. HARVESTING SORGHUM IN JUNE & JULY PROVIDED 2-3 90KG BAGS OF SORGHUM TO BE THE MAIN SOURCE OF HOUSEHOLD FOOD FOR MUCH OF THE YEAR.IWHA PROVIDED FOTO WITH FUNDS TO BUY AND DISTRIBUTE 9,000 2024 WALL CALENDARS (17X22"), THREE PAGES EACH WITH 4 MONTHS PER PAGE. THE MAIN PHOTO ON THE FIRST PAGE, JANUARY-APRIL, WAS OF THE FOTO STAFF IN FRONT OF THE FOTO OFFICE WEARING THE FOTO POLO SHIRTS IWHA FUNDED IN JULY, 2023. THE SECOND PAGE FEATURES FOTO STAFF MEMBER SELINE OSIAN DEMONSTRATING WATER TESTING METHODS TO GRADE SCHOOL CHILDREN. THE THIRD PAGE MAIN PHOTO IS THE EXUBERANCE OF CHILDREN HOLDING AQUAGUARD BOTTLES. THE ANNUAL FOTO WALL CALENDAR IS HIGHLY POPULAR AS IT IS THE ONLY CALENDAR HOUSEHOLDS ARE LIKELY TO RECEIVE TO KEEP TRACK OF THE DAYS OF THE WEEK AND THEIR APPOINTMENTS AND OBLIGATIONS. THE WALL CALENDAR ALSO DAILY REMINDS PEOPLE OF FOTO'S PROJECTS THAT BENEFIT EVERYONE IN LOWER NYAKACH. THE CALENDARS INCLUDE IWHA'S LOGO AND THE STATEMENT IN THE KENYA 2010 CONSTITUTION THAT ALL KENYANS HAVE A RIGHT TO SAFE DRINKING WATER. THE KENYA GOVERNMENT DOESN'T TAKE THAT SERIOUSLY, BUT IWHA AND FOTO DO. TO RECOGNIZE AND THANK THE 13 CHIEFS, 27 ASSISTANT CHIEFS, AND 274 VILLAGE ELDERS WHO ASSIST IN FOTO'S MONTHLY AQUAGUARD DISTRIBUTION AND OTHER ACTIVITIES, IWHA BUYS USEFUL ITEMS FROM NATIONAL PEN AND SENDS THEM TO FOTO TO DISTRIBUTE TO CHIEFS, ELDERS, GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, COMMUNITY LEADERS, AND TEACHERS. IN 2023 FOTO DISTRIBUTED 3,000 SUPERBALL STICK PENS, 700 COLORAMA 4 COLOR PENS, 500 2023 POCKET MONTHLY CALENDARS AMD 2.500 2024 POCKET MONTHLY CALENDAR, AND 100 SPIRAL FLIP NOTE PADS. ALL OF THESE ITEMS HAVE IMPRINTED ON THEM: "FRIENDS OF THE OLD (FOTO/LOWER NYAKACH, KENYA/ELIMINATE WATERBORNE DISEASE." THIS IS A UNIQUE AND EFFECTIVE WAY TO PROVIDE USEFUL ITEMS TO THOUSANDS OF CITIZENS THAT GENERATES ENORMOUS GOOD WILL FOR FOTO.ANOTHER UNIQUE ACTIVITY WAS STARTED IN 2014 AT THE REQUEST OF FOTO PROJECT DIRECTOR DINAH CHIENJO DURING HER WEEK-LONG VISIT TO SACRAMENTO: THE SPONSORSHIP OF ORPHAN GIRLS TO ATTEND SECONDARY SCHOOL. THE GRANDPARENT CARETAKERS HAVE NO MONEY TO SUPPORT THEIR GRANDDAUGHTER. WHAT STARTED WITH 12 GIRLS AND 6 SPONSORS IN 2014 GREW TO 60 GIRTS IN 2023, INCLUDING 12 NEW FORM 1 GIRLS. THE GIRLS ARE SPONSORED BY 21 US IWHA DONORS. IN ADDITION TO SCHOOL FEES, UNIFORMS AND SCHOOL SUPPLIES, FOTO ARRANGED SPECIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE GIRLS AT THE FOTO OFFICE DURING THE TWO SHORT TERM BREAKS, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON ACADEMIC SKILLS, AND A WEEK AT THE FOTO OFFICE FOR EACH GIRL IN NOVEMBER & DECEMBER, DURING THE BREAK AT THE END OF THE 2023 ACADEMIC YEAR. DURING THIS WEEK THE GIRLS USED THEIR TAILORING SKILLS TO MAKE A SCHOOL UNIFORM FOR THE 2024 ACADEMIC YEAR AND THEY WERE INTRODUCED TO SOLAR COOKING AND SOLAR WATER PASTEURIZATION WITH THE SIMPLE COOKIT SOLAR COOKER. THE COOKIT WAS THE MAIN FOCUS OF THE SUNNY SOLUTIONS PROJECT IN NYAKACH, 2003-2008, WHICH DINAH CHIENJO LED FOR SOLAR COOKERS INTERNATIONAL, AND BOB VISITED EACH YEAR.IWHA PROVIDES PRECIOUS EMPLOYMENT AND PAYS MONTHLY SOCIAL SECURITY AND NATIONAL HEALTH CARE COSTS FOR A TOTAL OF 31 PEOPLE: TWO WOMEN IN EACH OF THE 13 LOCATIONS WHO DELIVER FOTO PROJECTS AND ACT AS SOCIAL WORKERS FOR THE ELDERLY; PROJECT DIRECTOR DINAH CHIENJO; PROJECT COORDINATOR JOSEPH ABENDE; COMPUTER INSTRUCTOR WYCLIFFE ADE; OFFICE ASSISTANT SUSAN AWINO; AND SECURITY OFFICER FREDRICK ORONDO. IWHA INCREASED THEIR MONTHLY SALARY BY 1,000 KSH IN FEBRUARY AND SEPTEMBER TO KEEP THE BUYING POWER OF THE KENYA SHILLING WHAT IT WAS AT THE END OF 2022.IWHA ALSO SUPPORTS FAUSTINE ODABA, MAMA SOLAR, IN NAIROBI, TO PROMOTE WATER TESTING WITH THE PML, SOLAR WATER PASTEURIZATION AND SOLAR COOKING USING A COOKIT. FAUSTINE IS THE WORLD'S LEADING SOLAR COOK, FIRST INTRODUCING THE COOKIT TO REFUGEES IN THE KAKUMA REFUGEE CAMP IN 1995 AND BEING THE MAIN TRAINER FOR SOLAR COOKERS LNTERNATIONAL'S EAST AFRICA OFFICE IN NAIROBI. FAUSTINE ALSO ASSISTED BOB METCALF ON WATER TESTING WORKSHOPS ALL OVER KENYA FROM 2002-2013. IT CONTINUES TO BE IMPORTANT TO KEEP FAUSTINE'S EXPERTISE AVAILABLE IN SOLAR AND WATER TESTING SINCE SCI CLOSED THE EAST AFRICA OFFICE IN 2011. IWHA PROVIDED A MONTHLY STIPEND AND FUNDED FAUSTINE'S TRAVEL TO MOISHE; TANZANIA IN FEBRUARY TO LEAD WATER TESTING AND SOLAR COOKING/PASTEURIZATION WORKSHOPS WITH THE SMALL NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION, WATER AT THE DOOR, WHICH TRAINS MEN TO COVER OPEN WELLS AND USE A PUMP TO FETCH WATER. NADIA MITCHELL, VOLUNTEER CEO OF WATER TO THE DOOR, DISCOVERED THE PML ONLINE, ZOOMED WITH BOB, AND HAS BEEN USING THE PML TESTS SINCE FAUSTINE'S TRAINING.THE USE OF THE PML FOR WATER TESTING AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL, AND FOTO'S 'THE GOAL IS ZERO WATERBORNE DISEASE' STRATEGY NEEDS TO BE KNOWN AND REPLICATED WORLDWIDE.ON JUNE 5, BOB METCALF GAVE A VIRTUAL PRESENTATION TO THE WATER IN AFRICA CONFERENCE: "DRINKING WATER SOURCES ARE CONTAMINATED AND THERE'S NO WOOD FOR COOKING: MICROBIOLOGY AND SOLAR SOLUTIONS IN LOWER NYAKACH, KENYA."THE MOST SIGNIFICANT EVENT WAS A WATER TESTING WORKSHOP BOB AND KEHINDE ENIOLA LED ON JUNE 15 AT THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MICROBIOLOGY ANNUAL MEETING IN HOUSTON. THE WORKSHOP WAS FOR ASM COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVES, AND MICROBIOLOGISTS FROM 16 COUNTRIES PARTICIPATED IN THE HANDS-ON WORKSHOP. TO ENABLE THE ASM AMBASSADORS TO IMMEDIATELY SHARE THESE METHODS WITH COLLEAGUES AND STUDENTS AFTER RETURNING TO THEIR HOME COUNTRIES, PARTICIPANTS WERE PROVIDED WITH A PML TO PERFORM 25 COLILERT AND PETRIFILM TESTS, AND A FLASH DRIVE WITH TEACHING MATERIALS TO ENABLE IMMEDIATE PRESENTATIONS. THE NEXT DAY, METCALF SUMMARIZED THE WORKSHOP AND SHOWED THE PETRIFILM AND COLILERT RESULTS TO ASM CEO STEFANO BERTUZZI AND ASM PRESIDENT COLLEEN KRAFT OF EMERY UNIVERSITY. ASM APPRECIATES THESE WORKSHOPS AND WILL ARRANGE ANOTHER WATER TESTING WORKSHOP FOR ASM INTERNATIONAL COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVES AT THE ASM ANNUAL MEETING IN ATLANTA, JUNE 13, 2024.ON AUGUST 12, BOB GAVE A ZOOM PRESENTATION, "THE HUMAN RIGHT TO SAFE DRINKING WATERSTARTS WITH WATER QUALITY TESTING AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL" TO CAWST, THE CENTER FOR AFFORDABLE WATER AND SANITATION TECHNOLOGY, A CANADIAN NGO THAT HAS A BIG USAID GRANT TO PRODUCE ONLINE MODULES. CAWST'S MODULE "DRINKING WATER QUALITY TESTING" HAS OBSOLETE MICROBIOLOGY METHODS. BOB SENT CAWST SEVEN PMLS IN AUGUST, 2022 ALONG WITH FLASH DRIVES WITH POWER POINTS AND DOCUMENTS, AND WAPLS FOR CAWST TO USE IN ITS CALGARY OFFICE AND SIX COUNTRIES WHERE CAWST HAS WATER EXCELLENCE TRAINING