Project 538

The Rotary Club of Belfast is pleased to have financially supported Project 538 the Rotary Ireland initiated programme for 2014-15.

Project 538 is named after a primary school in Keringet near Kiptulwa, Kenya that has 538 children.

The Keringet area is poor and underdeveloped; most of its population is involved in subsistence farming, has a low income and are food insecure. However, the area has great potential but clean water is a huge challenge.

The need is great. Families there spend 80% of their daily energy collecting water. If they could devote this time and energy to educational and economic activities, they would be able to improve their lives and escape the poverty trap.

Rotary changed this...

By partnering Gorta to purchase water tanks for the school and tanks and guttering for the family homes. We also secured and protected existing water springs and provide hygiene and sanitation training - see plan left (click on image to enlarge).

One of the pupils is a typical 12 year old Kenyan girl Mercy Chepkemoi. As with all the children in her school, life is tough. She begins her day at 5.30 in the morning, lighting the fire to prepare breakfast and then walks 40 minutes to the nearest water source... it's the only water available but it's not safe to drink. See her story below.