Maji Ndogo, a town where access to clean water was a daily struggle. Broken infrastructure, long queues, and contaminated sources left residents, especially women and children, facing health risks and social challenges. The consequences were dire:

Long Queues: On busy days, residents waited up to 246 minutes to collect water.

Contaminated Sources: 41% of wells were chemically contaminated, and 31% were biologically unsafe.

Gender Inequality: Women and children bore the brunt of water collection duties, spending countless hours in queues, often at the expense of their safety and education.

Rising Crime: Water scarcity was linked to an increase in gender-based violence, particularly in the most affected areas.

Something had to change.

Data Sources: The project utilized a combination of field survey data, crime reports, and satellite imagery to build a comprehensive dataset. The data was structured into interconnected tables covering population demographics, water source locations, crime incidences, and infrastructure status.

Data Cleaning: Advanced SQL queries were employed to clean and preprocess the data, ensuring accuracy and consistency across all datasets. Outliers and anomalies were identified and appropriately handled to maintain the integrity of the analysis.

Infrastructure Assessment: Using Power BI, the distribution and condition of water sources were visualized. The analysis revealed that 64% of the population relies on rural water sources, with 41% of wells being chemically contaminated and 31% biologically contaminated.

Queue Time Analysis: Queue times across different days and times were analyzed, identifying that Saturdays had the longest queues, with an average wait time of 246 minutes. The burden on women and children was disproportionately high, with women representing 66% of the individuals in queues.

Crime Correlation: Queue times and locations were correlated with crime data, discovering a significant increase in gender-based violence in areas with severe water scarcity. For example, Sokoto, a rural town with a high concentration of broken infrastructure, had the highest number of harassment and assault cases.

Budget Allocation: A budget plan was developed focusing on critical interventions, including the installation of 7,093 RO filters, 5,856 infrastructure repairs, and 3,379 new wells. The total budget was $146.7 million, with a strategic emphasis on rural areas, which received 77% of the total funding.

Implementation Strategy: The project prioritized provinces like Kilimani and Sokoto, where the need was most urgent. The strategy included detailed timelines, with a target to complete all improvements by December 2027.

Completion Rate: By the end of the project, a 100% completion rate on all planned improvements was achieved, impacting over 25 million people. Rural areas saw a significant uplift in water access, with the percentage of the population having basic water access rising from 34% to 66%.

Queue Time Reduction: Queue times were drastically reduced across all towns. For instance, in Sokoto, the average queue time dropped from 246 minutes to 82 minutes, a 66% improvement.

Crime Reduction: The implementation of new water sources and the reduction in queue times correlated with a marked decrease in crime rates, particularly in gender-based violence. Sokoto and Kilimani, previously hotspots for such crimes, saw a 25% reduction in harassment and assault cases.

Increased Productivity: With reduced time spent in water queues, residents, especially women and children, had more time for education and economic activities, contributing to the town's overall productivity.

Enhanced Community Well-being: The improvement in water access led to better health outcomes, with fewer water-borne diseases reported, and a stronger sense of community safety and well-being.

The Maji Ndogo Water Access Analysis project is a testament to the power of data-driven decision-making in addressing complex social challenges. By systematically analyzing the problem, planning targeted interventions, and measuring the outcomes, we were able to make a substantial impact on the lives of Maji Ndogo's residents. This project not only restored the town's water infrastructure but also provided a replicable model for other communities facing similar challenges.

Access the dashboard here. This interactive dashboard visualizes key metrics like water source distribution, queue times, and related crime rates, enabling users to track progress and analyze the impact of interventions in Maji Ndogo.

Access the dashboard here. This dashboard breaks down costs by improvement type, tracks budget vs. actual spend, and evaluates contractor performance, providing essential insights into the financial management of the Maji Ndogo project.