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Photo: Erika, Tristian and the ITF Kenya team
When I joined the International Transformation Foundation Inc. (ITF) at the beginning of the summer in 2023, I sought to combine my passion for environmental rights and my interest in Africa. Immediately welcomed in, I got to work on fundraising for a water kiosk project at a primary school in northern Kenya. A year later, we came up short of our goal but raised enough to build a water fountain in Nairobi, Kenya, at City Hall. In August of 2024, I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to take a trip to Nairobi with ITF to build this fountain.
Arrival in Nairobi
After 22 hours of travel, leaving my house at 9 AM, I arrived in Nairobi with excitement at 2 AM local time. Getting to our rental house, we were welcomed by chickens, turkeys, and helmeted guinea fowl before immediately falling asleep. Waking up to the chickens calling, on the first day, we got the opportunity to have a meal cooked for us before I went to dinner with a family friend. That night, we got our first taste of the real Nairobi, going to a popular bar with several ITF Kenya members. With a mix of African, American, and British music, we partied for hours and enjoyed Nairobi nightlife.
Building the Water Fountain
The first time we saw the location of the fountain, I didn’t find it until it was pointed out right in front of me: a large concrete square with leaves and trash thrown in the middle and no mouthpieces for flowing water. Still in a state of pure observation of the fountain’s poor condition, a group of dozens of Kenyans on roller skates flew by on the road right next to the fountain. Between a gate entrance to City Hall and a popular road, the possibility of a water fountain reaching such a populated area excited me. Taking pictures and letting the excitement sink in, the reality of the change I was a part of hit me.
Moving just a few blocks away, we visited another active project at Kencom, a popular market street. With the new, smaller, colorful fountain standing out, we tested the water. With no electricity yet, the water flowed drop by drop very slowly. Still, we saw multiple people using the fountain within the first 10 minutes of our arrival. Feeling elation while watching people use the fountain, two kids came up to us asking if the water was safe. After answering yes, they still seemed skeptical but immediately grabbed their cup-of-noodles container, filled it with water, and drank quickly. Seeing and speaking to people whose lives were already improving, even before the fountain was fully finished, confirmed to me why I do this work every week.
Overcoming Challenges
To get started on construction, we needed two permits: one from the Roads department and one from the Water department. Encountering a permitting issue, we joined multiple ITF Kenya members to speak with the director of water management in Nairobi. Though serious at first, we began laughing and joking as the director expressed his full support for our project, thanking us for doing this work and immediately issuing a new permit. He found it very exciting that our international non-profit was taking an interest in Nairobi.
Though we were unable to get a permit from the roads department in time to begin construction while I was in Nairobi, we were able to launch the already-started Kencom site the day before we left. After interviewing willing participants, we pulled out dozens of reusable water bottles that 4Imprint gave us. I first went to a mother and three young kids on a bench waiting for a bus. As soon as I brought out the first one and gave it away, I was immediately swarmed by every person within eyesight, grabbing bottles as soon as I took them out of the bag. Within seconds, all of the water bottles had been given away to those who might use them at our fountain.
Exploring Nairobi
We got to go to the top of the Kenyatta International Convention Center, overlooking all of Nairobi. The American vision of African cities as technologically lacking, small, and underdeveloped was quickly proven wrong. Looking at miles of tall buildings, houses, and the business district, the reality of the number of people we were helping hit me as I walked around the roof. We soon contrasted this urban area with a visit to the Nairobi Animal Orphanage, where monkeys were running around the park. For the first time, I saw lions being fed, a baby zebra, and a leopard at the top of a tree. After the launch of the water fountain, we enjoyed our last day at the Snake Park, looking at hundreds of species of birds, many species of snakes, and learning about the history of Kenya. Then, we had the amazing opportunity to visit Giraffe Park and feed the giraffes—an experience that will forever be one of my favorites.
Photo: Erika feeding a giraffe at the Giraffe Park in Nairobi, Kenya
Reflection
Walking down populated streets, we saw the need for clean, reliable drinking water as we did not see a single working water fountain that was not built by ITF. From urban cities to grasslands full of animals, Kenyan geography offers everything you could want to see. With people walking right next to your moving car and sidewalks full, the population's demand for water is obvious. Smiling as you walk by, the Kenyan people always took notice of a white, blonde, American girl among their ranks but welcomed me so graciously.
Thank you to everyone at ITF Kenya who welcomed me so kindly. Thank you to everyone at ITF USA who made this trip possible. Thank you to Kenya for the amazing experiences and for introducing me to Ugali.
Erika Pietrzak
Project Manager, International Transformation Foundation Inc.