Access to safe and clean water is a fundamental need for every human. Without it, we would go thirsty, and we wouldn’t have water to use for cooking, laundry, keeping ourselves clean and more! So what happens when there’s a scarcity in clean water?
Kenya is one of the many countries that understands what it’s like to be without a sufficient supply of fresh water during a debilitating drought, which has been occurring over the last five years. It’s kind of ironic that even though we live on a planet comprised of two-thirds water, not everyone actually has safe access to drinking water. But thanks to a new solar-powered plant, many people in Kenya can now finally enjoy clean drinking water!
A non-government organization named GivePower has installed and is currently running a solar-powered plant in Kenya. This project started in August of 2018 with the purpose of transforming salt water into drinking water. Today, the plant has improved the lives of about 35,000 who benefit from the fresh water.
Before the plant was launched, 3,500 inhabitants of Kiunga Village in Kenya were deprived of access to clean drinking water, according to the Good News Network. Fortunately,GivePower was able to successfully install the new plant, transforming saline water into fresh water. And this is just the beginning. GivePower plans to use this technology to help people in other parts of the world too, considering that the problem with water scarcity is even bigger in other regions like Sub-Saharan Africa. The small town of Kiunga was specifically chosen to initially address this problem, and the organization is looking into replicating the same project in places like Haiti and Colombia.
Turning saltwater into fresh drinking water requires desalination, which is a very expensive process. Desalination involves the use of solar power. In fact, solar power is an excellent long-term solution, so GivePower has installed solar panels to harvest solar energy.
This project is indeed life-changing because people in Kiunga no longer have to travel for an hour or more just to get drinking water for their families. Residents of Kiunga even have to use saltwater for bathing and doing laundry because they try to save every precious drop of fresh water. The president of GivePower, Hayes Barnard said, “You see children inside of these villages, and they’ve got these scars on their stomachs or their knees because they got so much salt in their wounds. They were basically poisoning their families with this water.” Indeed, not only did the solar power plant installation provide many families with safe drinking water, but it also saved them from many types of diseases and illnesses caused by bacteria and parasites from unclean water.
This story is just an example of how people can use their talent, skills and creativity to help out others. We may not always be able to make large scale changes, but in our little way, we can do the same thing – use what we’re blessed with so we can be a blessing to others.
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