Turkana County lies on the northern arid region of Kenya. The county is the poorest in terms of the poverty index, with 94% of the population living in abject poverty. Poor health, sanitation as well as illiteracy are the hallmarks of the region. Indeed, statistics show that over 85% of the population practices open defecation without any hygiene practices like hand washing after toilet visits. Not only that, but water is a scarcity, with drought and famine being an all year round occurrence. Sights of malnourished children are a common while adults with faces of hopelessness cover the entire regions.

Two members of MDA Kenya, the Field Coordinator Paul Mburu and Mr Douglas Muchoki, attended the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene learning forum, a two days initiative organized on 22-24th July in Turkana County by UNICEF and Government of Kenya’s Ministry of Water. This event enabled us to make contacts with several donor agencies including UNICEF office representative and also the UNDP. After the Forum, the Field Coordinator remained for an additional three days to conduct a community survey in the region and assess the needs of the population.