For years, residents of Churo Amaya Ward in Tiaty East Sub County, Baringo County lived with the harsh realities of climate change. Increasingly frequent droughts, rising temperatures, and unpredictable rainfall patterns had made water one of the scarcest and most contested resources in this arid and semi-arid (ASAL) region. Rainfall in the area is limited to a short window between March and September, often followed by long dry spells that leave communities struggling to access water for both domestic use and livestock.

Recognizing the urgent need to strengthen climate resilience, the community identified water access as a top priority through the Ward Climate Change Planning Committee under the Financing Locally Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) Program implemented by the County Government of Baringo. Among ten proposed climate interventions, the community prioritized the Churo Spring Water Project as the most critical investment for their survival and development.

Before intervention, the shortage of reliable water sources significantly disrupted daily life. Families were forced to walk nearly three kilometres to the nearest spring, often waiting in long queues to collect just two 20-litre jerricans. Women and girls carried the heaviest burden, spending hours each day fetching water instead of attending school or engaging in productive activities. Livestockthe backbone of the pastoral economyalso suffered due to lack of water and pasture, sometimes forcing herders to travel long distances and triggering conflicts over limited resources.

Households tried to cope with the crisis in several ways. Some bought water from boda boda vendors at a cost of about KSh 200 per trip, a significant expense for families already struggling to meet basic needs. Others relied entirely on the seasonal spring, even during severe dry spells when water levels dropped dramatically. Farming was highly risky due to erratic weather, forcing many residents to purchase vegetables from distant markets such as Marigat town, more than 100 kilometres away.

Implemented at a cost of KSh 11 million, the project involved the rehabilitation and protection of the Churo spring and construction of key water infrastructure. This included the rehabilitation and construction of an intake weir, fencing of the spring area to protect the water source, installation of a solar-powered pumping system, construction of a 100-cubic-metre masonry storage tank, and laying of a 5.48-kilometre pipeline distribution network supplying water to surrounding villages and institutions.

Today, the project is benefiting approximately 13,500 people, including households, five schools, Churo Health Centre, Churo Urban Centre, and other institutions. It has also strengthened pastoral livelihoods by providing reliable water for livestock, currently supporting about 500 cattle, 1,000 goats, and 600 sheep owned by families in the area.

The most visible change since the project was completed is the dramatic improvement in water access. For many families, water is now available closer to home, reducing the time spent fetching it and allowing households to focus on farming, education, and income-generating activities.

For Julius Loremoi, a local farmer, the project has opened up new opportunities. With reliable water now available, he has started irrigated farming on his one-acre plot, growing vegetables, tomatoes, mangoes, cassava, onions, carrots, and bananas.

Initially, I used to spend a lot of money buying water daily from boda boda vendors where one trip would cost KSh 200, he says. Most of our income went into buying water and food, and it became very difficult to pay school fees.

His wife, Eunice Loremoi, recalls the hardships women endured before the project.

In the past we were really suffering because we had to walk about three kilometres to the spring and sometimes queue for hours just to get two jerricans of water, she says. We even had to go in the evening to avoid the scorching sun and the dust from livestock competing for the same water.

Today, Eunice manages a thriving household farm and no longer has to travel long distances to buy vegetables.

I used to buy vegetables from Marigat town because our farms depended on unreliable rains, she explains. Now I grow vegetables on my farm and even supply them to the market and nearby schools. The income helps us pay school fees for our children.

For Mary Arupe, a resident of Plesian Village, the project has also improved health and hygiene.

Our children are now safer because they no longer drink water from unsafe sources, she says. I can wash clothes properly, take care of my poultry, and maintain my garden without worrying about where to get water.

The project has also created unexpected ripple effects within the community. With water now available closer to homes, women and girls spend less time fetching water, allowing them to engage in farming and other productive activities. Schools and health facilities now have a stable water supply, improving sanitation and learning conditions for students.

According to Rev. Amos Lomoto, Chairperson of the Ward FLLoCA Committee, the project has significantly strengthened the communitys resilience to climate change.

The rehabilitation of the spring, installation of the solar pump, construction of the storage tank, and the pipeline network have ensured reliable water for households, livestock, and institutions, he explains. This has greatly improved the ability of the community to cope with climate change.

Local institutions are already seeing the benefits. Gladys Kipturu, Principal of Churo Girls High School, says the school previously struggled due to water shortages.

In the past, students spent many hours fetching water, which affected their studies, she says. Now they can concentrate on their education, and we are seeing improvements in academic performance.

To ensure long-term sustainability, the County Government is also supporting environmental conservation around the spring. According to the Chief Officer for Environment and Climate Change Eng. Silas Kwonyike, the county is working with communities to protect water sources and ensure that all FLLoCA projects comply with environmental and social safeguards.

For beneficiaries like Julius Loremoi, the transformation is deeply personal.

If I could tell the people who funded this project one thing, he says, it is that water has changed our lives. Our families are healthier, our farms are productive, and we now have hope for a better future.