Ustawi Water Project

Feb. 03, 2025

In the arid heart of Kenya, where each drop of water once meant a long walk and a harder day, change is finally flowing. Thanks to the Stop Hunger initiative by Sodexo, water pans have been donated to members of the Ustawi Afrika community — turning dry land into fertile ground and daily struggle into stories of resilience.

At the center of this transformation is Doreen Irungu, Stop Hunger Laureate 2023 and founder of Ustawi, whose mission to uplift rural women through training and opportunity is bearing fruit.

Priscilla Wangui, 65, spent her life coaxing harvests from dry soil, often with little success. Today, with her water pan full and her spirit renewed, she grows enough to support her family and inspire other women to do the same. Lucy Wanjiku, a dedicated farmer and grandmother, beams as her two granddaughters return from school, no longer burdened with fetching water. And John Muriuki, a respected community leader, has turned his own water pan into a teaching tool, cultivating crops and hope across five acres of shared land.

“This water pan is more than support for my family — it’s a demonstration farm for others to learn from,” says John. For Priscilla, Lucy, and John, access to water has done more than quench thirst — it has revived dreams. Their stories are proof that when water flows, so does opportunity, and entire communities rise.