Kapetawoi, Kenya

Imagine driving three and half hours to see a relative or loved one. When we, in the United States, make a trip like that, we probably drive on a well-paved and maintained highway or perhaps a county road. Now imagine doing the same thing, but the roads are rough or non-existent, and the last 10 miles is essentially an animal path.

Last November, a combined Design Outreach (DO)-SonSet Solutions team made the difficult trip to Kapetawoi, Kenya, to a point far up in the Rift Valley to service the 83-meter deep LifePump that was installed in 2018 in partnership with Pokot Outreach Ministries (POM). The team was there to service and upgrade the LifePump with a LifePumpLink and saw for themselves just how vital the technology is to this remote community. Kapetawoi is considered high-risk because of its remote location. It does not have access to any other nearby water supply and the groundwater is contaminated.
DO Manufacturing Director Rich Arthur, who was part of the team, noted that Kapetawoi is “a perfect, textbook location for a LifePump,” because of the remoteness of the location and the depth of the well, more than other pumps can cope with. He continued, “You want a reliable solution like a LifePump, when you think of something that needs to be durable and last a long time because of its location. It is crucial to survival.”

The team learned more about the community through their Pokot Outreach Ministries partner, Benjamin, who accompanied them on the trip to Kapetawoi. Benjamin, who is a Pokot pastor, engaged with the community to learn more about their spiritual and physical needs. He routinely asks about how many cases of diseases such as typhoid, cholera, dysentery, and malaria the community is experiencing. Benjamin learned that in Kapetawoi, there is a high rate of miscarriages, all of which could be worsened without a source of adequate and safe water.

The spiritual health of the community is also critical to DO. Pokot Outreach Ministries has ministered to the Pokot people for the past 30 years, who were prior an unreached people group. POM has planted hundreds of churches and actively provides discipleship for believers. The team helped equip POM and their ministry to share the Gospel by distributing audio Bibles to the community. The literacy rate among the Pokot people is fairly low, so an audio Bible is a great tool to strengthen and encourage their congregations. Not only is DO serving the physical needs of communities, but in partnership with ministry partners like POM, DO is also helping to meet their spiritual needs.

Since November when the LifePumpLink was installed, the data shows the community is using the LifePump 15 hours a day. That is about 2,500 to 3,000 gallons a day. It is clear that the LifePump is meeting a significant need for safe water, and through the partnership with POM, the physical and spiritual needs of the people of Kapetawoi are also being addressed.