Water1st’s local partner, KWAHO, is leading the development of two separate piped water systems serving the communities of Kokelo and Nyatigo. Kokelo: Expanding Household Connections Since January 2025, community members in Kokelo have contributed
significant labor to complete the water system. Volunteer crews installed the final sections of pipeline, bringing every household within reach of the supply network.
74 households are now connected—an increase of 27 since January.
This represents approximately 50% of the target connections.
KWAHO continues to adjust its approach to find the right combination of grant support, aiming to accelerate connection rates while maintaining
community ownership and long-term sustainability. Nyatigo: Infrastructure Now in Place The Nyatigo project has made substantial strides in the past six months:
A submersible pump was installed in the borehole
A 20-panel solar array now powers the pump
A 13,000-gallon elevated steel storage tank has been constructed
Water distribution pipeline construction is underway, with some sections of the community already reached.
During our visit, the first two households were connected
Sanitation Success in Nyatigo As reported in January, Nyatigo’s toilet-building campaign was already a
success—and it has continued to gain momentum.
In the past five months, 30 additional toilets were completed, bringing
the total to 160
Community demand remains high, with interest in 300 more toilets.
Unlike many sanitation programs that struggle with adoption, this model has been enthusiastically embraced. A key reason is the use of water-seal flush toilets, which eliminate odor—an issue common with pit latrines. Because water is piped to homes, households can also include a shower in the same space, a feature that community members love. Outlook for the Remainder of 2025 Both KWAHO and CABDA expect the number of water connections to
increase dramatically in the second half of the year. With water infrastructure reaching Nyatigo (KWAHO) and Musambirisi (CABDA), connections in these communities are expected to ramp up quickly. Both partners have developed new strategies to overcome barriers to connection encountered earlier in the projects. While it may be an ambitious goal given past experience, we hope for 200 additional connections by the end of 2025.
Coils of 50-meter pipe are ready on site as Nyatigo community members dig trenches for the piped water network. With the storage tank completed and the well equipped with a pump, the community is highly motivated to complete the water supply pipelines!
At 80 years old, Anna uses a cane to walk—so having a sink and faucet inside her home is life-changing. “Now I don’t have to struggle to carry buckets of water inside,” she shared, with a big smile.
During our June visit, we hiked with the Nyatigo community to the newly completed elevated storage tank. The 1,200-meter pipeline from the well to the tank is finished, and volunteer crews from the community have begun laying the distribution lines that will bring water within reach of over 400 households. The next step: household connections.
