Nairobi, Nov. 24 -- Five months ago Jackline Parseen freed five hours from her daily domestic schedule. How did that happen? She had closer access to water. For more than 20 years, she had made drooping trips to Irkilunyieti, a seasonal river in Kajiado East, Kajiado County. When there was no water, she would dig shallow wells along the banks to get water.

Her trek to the river would start at 6am, with her donkey carrying four empty 20-litre jerricans. At 4pm, she would arrive home with her drums full, her donkey and herself, worn out and almost collapsing from hunger.

Now, her journey begins at 7am and ends at noon, thanks to the solar-powered borehole drilled by World Wide Fund for Nature Kenya (WWF-Kenya) and its partners in Nasaru-O...