In Kibera, a sprawling informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya, access to clean water has long been a luxury for its estimated 250,000 residents. The community, whose houses are made of mud and tin, has struggled with basic necessities like electricity and clean drinking water. But an innovative solution from a local organization is making waves in public health and changing lives.

Shining Hope for Communities, known as SHOFCO, has implemented an above-ground pipe system that brings clean and affordable water to Kibera residents. This unique approach bypasses the need for disruptive underground infrastructure and instead lays pipes above the streets to supply water to community kiosks.

The impact has been significant. Samuel Onyango, principal of Kibera Primary School, has seen a dramatic improvement in the health of his students and staff since connecting to the SHOFCO water system, particularly gastrointestinal health. “Since we have been connected to the SHOFCO water system, cases of these complaints have dropped to zero,” Onyango said in an interview with Harvard Public Health.

The system currently serves around 40,000 people and distributes over 14 million litres of clean water every month. Residents access the water using tokens linked to mobile money accounts, paying a fraction of what they previously spent on potentially contaminated water from independent providers.

SHOFCO’s efforts go beyond water provision. They also focus on hygiene and sanitation education, creating a multifaceted approach to community health. A recent evaluation found a 31% reduction in diarrheal disease among children under five in areas where SHOFCO’s water kiosks were used and its hygiene messages were received.

For residents like Mohammed Suleiman, who previously contracted typhoid from unclean water, the change has been life-changing. “SHOFCO’s water is cleaner than that of other providers,” Suleiman said in an interview with Harvard Public Health. “I don’t have to treat the water from (SHOFCO) kiosks before I drink it.”

This innovative solution not only addresses immediate health concerns, but also shows how effective grassroots initiatives can be in tackling complex urban challenges. Kennedy Odede, founder and CEO of SHOFCO, put it this way: “As someone who grew up in Kibera, it is impressive to see this clean water – which I also drank.”

Read Lenny Rashid Ruvaga’s full article in Harvard Public Health: How Kibera’s water problems vanished into thin air

Read about SHOFCO’s WASH approach.

Watch this video from KTN News, Kenya.