KWENCH

Kenya Water, Energy Cleanliness and Health Project

www.kwench.org
P.O. Box 1336, Village Market Nairobi, 62100100 Kenya +254 726 295 675
Constance Hunt, Executive Director
Email: kwenchproject@gmail.com  |   Follow KWENCH on Twitter
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KHDP Opening

KWENCH opened its biodigester ablution block/community kitchen project on January 22 of this year. It was an exciting event! The field in front of our project was filled with community members when the caravan carrying the Deputy U.S. Ambassador and the District Chief arrived. They were followed by a large group of children singing and cheering. When the Deputy Ambassador had taken his seat, a group of schoolgirls performed a Luya song and dance for him. The KHDP project manager, Moses Shivachi, served as the Master of Ceremonies and introduced all the local officials in attendance. Then, he introduced Constance Hunt, KWENCH’s executive director, who spoke briefly about KWENCH and the history of the project. The Finnish Ambassador to Kenya, Sofie From-Emmesberger spoke next about the kind of projects that the Finnish Embassy is funding in Kenya and how their emphasis is on raising the status of women as this project will do. Then, Deputy U.S. Ambassador Isiah Parnell spoke, mostly about the recent U.S. presidential election and the lessons it holds for the forthcoming Kenyan elections. Next, a Safaricom Foundation spokeswomen delivered some remarks about the project in the context of Safaricom’s corporate social responsibility program (for the Safaricom Foundation press release, please go to http://www.safaricomfoundation.org/index.php?id=74&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=1).

The Finnish Ambassador cut the ribbon on the project door, the Deputy U.S. Ambassador unveiled a plaque describing the U.S. Governments contribution to the project and the VIPs piled inside for a tour. After viewing the toilets, showers and kitchen, the group went upstairs to the as yet incomplete first floor of the project where we are keeping the water tanks until we raise the money we need for the project’s second phase. Finally, a community member presented Ms. Emmesberger with a set of necklace and earrings that the KHDP women’s group had made from paper beads.