November 15, 2016 marked a great milestone for ITF as we launched the first ever Join the Pipe drinking tap station at Uhuru Park, Nairobi. The launching event was attended by our esteemed partners: the C.E.O., Join the Pipe Netherlands, Mr. Geraldo Vallen, Pollination Project Representative, Ms. Beth Wanjiku and Ms. Anne Lokidor, and Nairobi City County executive members. ITF volunteers and members were also present, led by their Secretary General, Venuste Kubwimana.

Uhuru Park is a centrally located recreation ground within our city center. Just like any other parks, it houses a lot of activities, ranging from business setups that people have put up to manage their day-to-day lives, a shelter for the homeless people in the city centre, a relaxing ground for youth who frequent the park and also a perfect space for those who are enthusiastic about keeping fit and love jogging.

On a regular day, about a third of the Nairobi population accesses the park. They all enjoy the place but have one problem in common: Clean drinking water is very hard for most to get to quench their thirst. Since most of the youth around don’t have jobs, purchasing bottled water is very difficult, leaving them dehydrated throughout the day. For those who can afford to purchase a bottle of water, they end up littering the environment with plastic bottles, causing pollution.

The main motivation for launching the Join the Pipe tap station was not only to give residents access to clean drinking water but also to help clean the environment by getting rid of the plastic water bottles that used to litter the park. To help with this activity, we invited students from Patriana Educational Center, who, together with the other attendees, cleaned the park by collecting all plastic materials. This activity also drew the attention of park users, who joined us in the clean-up and were sensitized on the importance of keeping their environment clean.

Previously, Uhuru Park had water drinking points, but all of them had been vandalized, leaving the necessary authorities shutting down all the pipe networks that fed water into them. After several consultations with the relevant offices within the Nairobi City County Government about reinstating a water drinking point, we were given the green light to do so.

We are pleased to say that installing the tap station has already had a large impact. Many people were seen visiting the place from early morning to late in the evening, serving an average of 400 people in a day, who not only use the tap station for drinking purposes but also to fetch water and for washing purposes.