Today, it is the water that sustains our daily lives
When these boreholes fail, women and girls can carry the greatest burden.
In Nawamor village, the main borehole broke down and remained out of use for eight months before it was rehabilitated in 2025. During this time, women walked almost three hours every day to reach a shallow, hand-dug well shared with livestock.
During floods, the journey became even more dangerous. The time spent collecting water also meant less time for women to run small businesses or care for their families.
When water is out of reach
Before Oxfam brought water to the community, people faced severe drought and had to travel long distances to collect water from the Turkwel River.
“It was a very big challenge,” one community member recalls.
Livestock were dying because water was so far from people’s homes. People were also becoming sick because there was no clean water, while wild animals would pass through the area in search of water.
“At that time, both people and livestock were going through very difficult challenges.”
Access to water changed this.
“But since Oxfam brought water, those problems, especially during the dry seasons, have reduced.”— says a community member from Nawamor.
Livestock no longer die as they used to because water is now available nearby. The diseases that once affected the community have also decreased, easing many of the struggles people faced.
Acting before crisis
In early 2025, Oxfam Kenya partnered with Davis & Shirtliff to rehabilitate strategic boreholes across Turkana ahead of the dry season and rising flood risks.
The aim was to prevent borehole breakdowns before communities were pushed deeper into crisis.
The initiative brought solar power, water troughs for livestock and storage tanks for the community. Once everything was in place, it provided a reliable and abundant supply of water.
The project was part of Davis & Shirtliff’s Improving Lives initiative, through which the company partners with organisations to address water scarcity.
The partnership with Oxfam focused on Nawamor, an area where water scarcity was a major challenge and where rainfall is little to none.
"This is the water we now depend on, water for bathing, for our livestock and for cooking."— says one community member.
Learning from experience
The project also applied lessons from previous challenges with borehole construction.
Cylindrical borehole chambers had been recommended for their durability. However, field teams found that they were difficult for local masons to construct properly. This resulted in weak joints and faster deterioration.
Square chambers, built using familiar local techniques, ultimately proved stronger because they could be constructed and maintained effectively.
This practical learning was an important part of making the rehabilitation work for the community.
Preparing for drought
Communities living in Turkana’s ASAL areas are frequently affected by prolonged droughts.
The collaboration between Davis & Shirtliff, Turkana County and Oxfam enabled anticipatory action to support communities living along pastoralist migratory routes.
The projects were implemented at the onset of drought, helping protect communities from losing access to water services.
For communities like Nawamor, having reliable water nearby can make a significant difference during dry seasons.
As one programme representative explains, there is a need to collaborate better and be more proactive rather than responsive to crisis.
In Nawamor, that approach has helped bring water closer to the community, reducing some of the challenges people and livestock faced when water was out of reach.
