SODIS in Wanyororo

Photo: SODIS users in Wanyororo. The woman in yellow is Elizabeth, a local volunteer.

Wanyororo is a lot greener and more prosperous looking than Salgaa, though appearances can deceive. The maize grows tall and green and there is quite a variety of different crops grown there, especially in the shambas (small holdings). However, many of the popular crops are badly affected by the current drought. Some crops are late, some die and others are small, stunted and possibly useless.

Wanyaroro also produces hand cut blocks of stone for building. The buildings around there are typically constructed from these stone blocks and cemented with mud. This results in sturdy, relatively cheap and potentially attractive buildings. The area is dotted with little quarries where people busy themselves hacking out the soft, black volcanic stone.

Again, we (ICROSS) were looking at people's use of the SODIS method to purify water. We visited homes where the water comes from various sources, rivers, boreholes and piped supply. Even from reliable supplies, the water is somewhat cloudy and can contain pathogens that cause intestinal problems, such as diarrhea. If you look carefully at people's houses, you can spot the plastic bottles on roofs, walls and on the ground.



Photo: Water pasteurizing in the sun using the SODIS method.