FUNDERS

The funders of FOTO since 2009 is International Water and Health Alliances  (IWHA). The president of IWHA is Prof. Robert Metcalf. He has pioneered recent technological break through in water testing methods. A professor of Micro Biology at the California state University (now retired), Sacramento, he introduced a Portable Microbiology Laboratory (PML).  A PML kit contains materials for for 25 water tests. ( see Water Testing album at: www.imageevent.com/bobmetcalf).

Since 2004, Prof. Metcalf has organized and led water testing community workshops and supplied PML materials for the Kenya Water Resources Management Authority (WRMA) and the Kenyan Ministry Of Health (MOH). Both have been impressed by the modern tests and eager to replace the obsolete, complicated laboratory-based thermotolerant coliform MPN tests with the PML tests. A unique aspect of of the PML test is that they demystify science and microbiology in local communities. The tests are easy to use and do not require extensive education or scientific training.

Prof. Metcalf and his wife Dr Mary Beth Metcalf visit the project every year to interact with the people.They are able to meet with different members of the community e.g the DC, DO, Chiefs, community leaders, opinion leaders, teachers, Health workers. They visit hospitals and dispensaries, development groups  and local house holds to chat with the people.

They bring gifts like pens and note pads to community members which the people really appreciate.

FOTO SPONSORS

FOTO has had 4 sponsors since inception

  1. INTERNATIOANAL WATER AND HEALTH ALLIANCES

International Water And Health Alliances has been  the main sponsor for FOTO since it’s inception in 2009.  IWHA is a US based Non Profit Organization that  sponsors all major activities of the project and remains our sponsor to date. The activities include

  • Water testing activities including community education and Aqua guard distribution in the locations
  • School girls sponsorship in partnership with volunteer sponsors for individual girls in secondary school including holiday programs for the girls
  • Reading glasses distribution in the community
  • Allowances to staff on a monthly basis
  • Office rent and over head costs
  • Solar cookit distribution in the community
  • WASH Education
  • Special programs for the sponsored girls . These are Multi storey gardens, chicken keeping project per girl, tailoring lessons, basket making, fireless cooker making, computer lessons and beads making
  • Distribution of gifts to the community such as pens, hand bags, key holders, bottle openers, note pads, umbrellas, masks during the covid 19 pandemic, Certified seeds and Calendars among other items
  • They also visit the community once every year and visit households and distribute items to them
  • Distribution of house hold package to sponsored girls house hold to help cushion them against the hard economic times
  1. SOLAR COOKERS INTERNATIONAL

SCI sponsored FOTO for 3 years 2013-2016  especially in;

  • Solar cookits, fireless baskets, Upesi jikos and safe water pots that were distributed to the community. Referred  to as Safe Water Packages, these were distributed in all the locations in the project area. Each project getting 80 – 90 packages. They were mainly distributed to the elderly people. The total cookits distributed was 1,100 within the project area.
  • Computers for studies by the sponsored girls – 10 desk top computers and a photo copier machine
  • A solar cooking uptake survey in 2016. The survey indicated that the uptake of solar cooking was more than 50%. Mainly preferred by the elderly.
  1. BRIGHT WATER FOUNDATION

Sponsored FOTO in 2016 by sponsoring

  • The purchase and distribution of Upesi jikos to the community. A total of 120 jikos were donated by Bright water foundation.
  • A survey on the impact of water testing and Aqua Guard distribution in Lower Nyakach. A survey which confirmed a 95% reduction on water borne diseases in the community.
  • Donated 10 Gps machines to the project
  1. AFRISHINERS

Sponsored FOTO with 50,000 in 2017 February which was used for training in fire less cooker making.

SCI Logo

IWHA Logo