VOA慢速英语2016 肯尼亚偏远地区获得净水项目

AS IT IS 2016-01-07 Project to Bring Clean Water to Remote Part of Kenya 肯尼亚偏远地区获得净水项目

In Japan, one person uses about 374 liters of water.

And in Kenya, one person uses about 20.

Tomoyuki Tsutsui and Keitaro Kakoi are Japanese university students working as interns¹ at Grassroots Water Limited. Grassroots, a Nairobi company, and the interns are bringing clean and convenient water to people in Kenya.

Grassroots Water Limited provides clean water in Kenya's capital, Nairobi. Grassroots is run by Kenyan Edwards Bob Hawi.

Tsutsui lives in Kisumu, in west Kenya. Kisumu is home to the Luo, a large tribal² group. Kisumu is the third-largest city in Kenya.

Tsutsui lives in a house without running water, also called tap water. He knows how difficult it is to live with limited water.

“Most people in the project site cannot access clean water easily because their house is without tap water. So, they have difficulty in getting water. Actually, my house is also without tap water. ... This is my motivation.”

There is a system to bring tap water to the northern part of Kisumu. But there are no water pipes in the southern part. Almost all people in the southern part do not have access to tap water.

“I am feeling the importance of water through Kenyan life without tap water. I carry the tank of 20 liters three times in a week. It is very, very heavy. The water was too important for us to waste.”

Some residents cannot go to northern Kisumu for water because it is too far away. In that area, people have to carry heavy water tanks on foot. It takes several hours to bring water from the nearest source each day.

People who cannot carry water must use rainwater or buy it from merchants, who charge up to 20 Kenyan shillings for 20 liters of water. The city's tap water cost is 1 Kenyan shilling per 20 liters.

Tsutsui says it must be very tough for women and children to carry a heavy tank. He says it is hard even for adult men.

Tsutsui and Kakoi crowdfunded, or raised money online, to address this problem. On November 28, the crowdfunding raised nearly $8,000 or 900,000 (Japanese) yen³. That is nearly 800,000 Kenyan Shillings. 

The company is working on laying a water pipe from northern Kisumu. It would build the first water kiosk in southern Kisumu. A water kiosk is a booth that sells clean water.

Tsutsui says it has taken a long time to get government approval to build the water pipe and the water kiosk. But now, Grassroots and the government are cooperating.

When the water kiosk is complete, the price of water from the kiosks could decrease by half. And the residents of southern Kisumu will no longer have to travel a long way to get their water.

The construction of the water kiosk will start in January 2016. It should be completed by February.

Words in This Story

convenient - adj. allowing you to do something easily or without trouble

motivation - n. a force or influence that causes someone to do something

crowdfund - v. to provide money for a project or venture by raising many small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically via the Internet.

kiosk - n. a small store in a building or on the street where things are sold

1 interns   

n.住院实习医生( intern的名词复数 )v.拘留，关押( intern的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Our interns also greet our guests when they arrive in our studios. 我们的实习生也会在嘉宾抵达演播室的时候向他们致以问候。 来自超越目标英语 第4册
• The interns work alongside experienced civil engineers and receive training in the different work sectors. 实习生陪同有经验的国内工程师工作，接受不同工作部门的相关培训。 来自超越目标英语 第4册

2 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

3 yen   

n. 日元；热望

参考例句：

• He wanted to convert his dollars into Japanese yen.他想将美元换成日币。
• He has a yen to be alone in a boat.他渴望独自呆在一条船上。