Distance and time
Women and girls spend hours each day walking to find water — losing time meant for school, rest, and work. For children, that can mean missed school days.
Solar-powered filtration kiosks for Lake Mirayi communities.
The pilot will test a local water point model that extracts, purifies, stores, and distributes safer water close to the people who need it.
Intake
Draw water from the lake through a screened intake.
Treat
Use solar-powered filtration and sterilization stages.
Share
Store and distribute clean water through public taps.
Problem
The water crisis in Gashora
A nearby lake does not guarantee safe drinking water.
The community lives beside Lake Mirayi — but proximity is not access. The crisis shows up in seven specific, daily ways.
Physical danger
Lake Mirayi is home to crocodiles and snakes. Children and homeless youth who wade in to drink risk attack and injury alongside the bacteria they cannot see.
Cost
Families without a reliable source must buy water every time they need to drink, cook, or wash — an impossible daily burden for people living on very little.
Tension and shame
With no safe option, some are pushed to beg or steal water from wealthier households. That breeds mistrust between neighbors and a quiet shame no one should have to carry.
Vulnerability
Homeless young people without family to stand behind them can be turned away from water points entirely — no container, no connections, no claim.
Unknown safety
The community treats Lake Mirayi as unsafe to drink, yet uses it anyway when nothing else is within reach. The exact contamination has never been tested — the worry is real but the data is missing.
Knowledge gaps
Without a clear understanding of waterborne disease and safe practice, even careful people cannot fully protect themselves — and sickness keeps children out of school.
Solution
Proposed solution
A practical system designed to be sustainable, cost-efficient, and locally maintainable.
Extract
Draw water from Lake Mirayi through a screened intake connected to a solar-compatible pump.
Purify
Use a multi-stage treatment process to remove particles, improve taste, block microorganisms, and disinfect water.
Store
Move treated water into a protected tank designed to keep clean water safe before distribution.
Distribute
Serve the community through local taps in a safe, controlled, and dignified way.
System flow
From lake intake to protected storage and public taps.
Use the interactive explorer to see how each stage contributes to safer water access.
Phases
The plan
Starting with people, not pipes.
Education and community trust come before infrastructure — that's what makes the infrastructure last.
Phase 1 · Summer 2026
Education & Awareness
Hands-on community workshops on water safety, hygiene, sanitation, and environmental stewardship. Stories gathered, data collected, local partnerships deepened — building the foundation Phase 2 will stand on.
WorkshopsData gatheringYouth leadershipPartnership development
Phase 2 · After Phase 1
Solar-Powered Kiosk
After professional water testing and community listening, a multi-barrier solar-powered filtration kiosk extracts, treats, and distributes safe drinking water through public taps — locally managed, sustainably maintained.
Water testingKiosk installationCommunity trainingLocal maintenance
Impact
Expected impact
Health, time, dignity, and cooperation are the core outcomes.
1,000
people targeted with safer water access
2
solar-powered filtration kiosks in the pilot range
4
core stages from intake to clean water
2,026
summer pilot implementation timeline
Reduced waterborne illness
Improve health by replacing unsafe consumption with locally purified water.
Less collection time
Reduce daily time spent finding water so families can focus on school, work, and care.
Stronger cooperation
Build shared responsibility around a resource that affects the whole community.
Better daily dignity
Make access safer, more predictable, and more respectful for vulnerable residents.