• Water Project

    Quenching Hope: From Crisis to Clean Water

  • Rusinga Island sits on the shores of Lake Victoria — one of the largest freshwater bodies in the world. Yet only 12% of residents in Rusinga have access to safe drinking water. The lake, heavily polluted by human and industrial activity, has long offered no relief. Waterborne diseases are widespread, cholera outbreaks are recurring, and the region consistently ranks among Homa Bay County's most urgent WASH priorities.

    The Daily Burden Falls on Women and Children

    It is women and children who bear the weight of this crisis most directly. During dry season, families walk an average of 2.5 kilometres to collect water, time that cannot be spent in school, in a field, or building a livelihood. Protected water sources are few, distribution infrastructure is poor, and most households lack basic harvesting tools like gutters or storage tanks. When water is far away, everything else falls behind.

    A Health Emergency in the Making

    The numbers tell a sobering story. Diarrhoea affects 27% of children under five in the area, more than double the national average of 10%. Poor sanitation practices compound the problem, and without clean water, hygiene education alone cannot turn the tide. Addressing WASH in Rusinga is not just about thirst, it is about preventing illness, keeping children in school, and protecting the futures of entire families.

  • What VFM Is Doing About It

    VFM has made clean water a cornerstone of its work on Rusinga Island. A filtration system now draws water directly from Lake Victoria and delivers it to 345 households through a connected water network — turning the island's greatest natural resource into a genuine lifeline. Over 300 children receive safe drinking water daily at the VFM school, a community water kiosk extends access further, and more than 300 households have been supported to construct latrines. These are not temporary fixes; they are foundations for a healthier community.

    Committed to a Water-Secure Future

    VFM's commitment goes beyond infrastructure. Through community sensitisation on hygiene and sanitation, the organisation works to change behaviours alongside systems — because safe water only protects people when they know how to use it well. Aligned with SDG 6 and national health priorities, VFM is determined to reduce the incidence of cholera and waterborne diseases on Rusinga Island, one household, one school, one community at a time.

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