Ann Wavinya Wambua is a smallholder farmer in Kangundo constituency – Machakos county. Together with her parents, she mainly farms vegetables. She joined VisionFund Kenya in 2023. Through the financial support of the lender, she has purchased a pump, pipes and tank for her parents. They use the water that is pumped from a well to irrigate their farm.
Additionally, the family sells water that is pumped from the well and stored in a tank to their neighbours at a cost of Kshs. 10 per a five litre jerry can. This water is also used for cooking, drinking and laundry. Their domestic animals also take it. “We mainly use the cash generated from selling water to meet our domestic budget,” says Wavinya. Her parents who are senior citizens are also members of VisionFund Kenya.
Theophilus Kiprop, a relationship officer of VisionFund Kenya Tala branch handles Wavinya’s account. “One day I visited Wavinya at home and I noticed that she was struggling a lot while drawing water from the well using jerrycans,” says Kiprop. “I therefore advised her to apply for a WASH loan product to purchase a water pump and pipes; she obliged,” he adds. Since this development, the family has been making good returns from agribusiness. They grow kale, cabbage and spinach seedlings in huge nurseries for sale to their neighbours among other customers.
