News and impact stories.

Two ways of writing about the same work. News covers milestones, launches and updates. Impact stories dwell on the people and the outcomes at the sites.

All News (7) Impact stories (5)

From the office and the sites.

News · Feb 2025
Kajiado and Makueni, Kenya

A Year of Growth and Progress

A look back at a year of hard work and important milestones on the WaterStarters journey, and where things go from here.

Read the storyWaterStarters team
News · Dec 2023
Kumpa, Kajiado County

Official launch of Kumpa Water Project

The WaterStarters franchise and partners come together in Kajiado County for the official launch of the first site.

Read the storyWaterStarters team
News · Sept 2023
Kajiado County

Design for Good: collaborative innovation in human-centered design

A short piece on collaborative, human centered design at a WaterStarters site, and what a design process actually looks like in the field.

Read the storyWaterStarters and partners
News · Aug 2023
Kajiado County

Expanding access to clean water with our second borehole

A moment of celebration and progress: the pump for the second borehole is in the ground, and more households can be reached.

Read the storyWaterStarters engineering
News · Jul 2023
Kajiado County

Water at the end of the tunnel

A behind the scenes note from Kennedy Omwaka and Jamlick Mutie on what a nerve wracking week of drilling actually feels like.

Read the storyKennedy Omwaka and Jamlick Mutie
News · Nov 2022
Kajiado County

First WaterStarters borehole a fact!

Months of consultations, discussions, and patience come together with the first franchise contract signed and the first site under way.

Read the storyWaterStarters team
News · Jul 2021
Nairobi and Amsterdam

Contract signed with FMO!

Amref Flying Doctors and FMO, the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank, sign the agreement that sets the WaterStarters franchise on its way.

Read the storyWaterStarters team

Franchisees, neighbours, and community health workers.

Before Kumpa, we walked five hours some days. Now the walk is a few minutes and the water is safe. The women decided the kiosk hours together, and that mattered.
Community member, KumpaKajiado County
Owning the site changed how the community treats it. It is not a donor thing. It is ours. When something breaks, we fix it, and the platform helps us with the spares.
Franchisee, NaserianKajiado County
Every launch, we run hand washing sessions. Six months later, we come back and check, and the message tends to stick when the water is right there.
Amref community health workerEnchorro site launch
The planner told us Orinie would be marginal. We adjusted the tariff mix and the pumping hours, and it works. The model saved us from a poor site.
WaterStarters engineering teamOrinie planning cycle