When Water Isn't Safe to Ask For: The Hidden Cost of Water Scarcity in Kibera

An NPR investigation published this week put words to something we at Human Needs Project witness far too often: women and girls in Kibera being harassed, assaulted, or pressured into trading their bodies for water.

It's a word most people have never had to learn: sextortion. But in communities where clean water is scarce, and where women are traditionally the ones responsible for collecting it, sextortion is a daily risk hiding behind an ordinary errand.

"During water shortage, Amutwayi went to buy water from a vendor point on the street but did not have enough money to pay the full price. She says three men selling water began making comments about her appearance and then tried to force her into a nearby alley. She screamed, and neighbors intervened." — NPR

Stories like Amutwayi's aren't rare, and they aren't new to us. They're the reason Human Needs Project exists in the first place. Our goal was never simply to deliver water. It was to make sure clean water is reliable, affordable, and accessible — especially in the moments when a community is most vulnerable.

Residents lining up for water during a recent shortage in Kibera.

Why the price of clean water in Kibera matters

In Kibera, the price of water can swing wildly depending on supply. During shortages, vendors often raise prices to 20–30 Kenyan shillings for a 20-liter jerry can — the exact moments when families have the least room to negotiate, and women are pushed into impossible choices.

Human Needs Project has never raised our price.

A 20-liter jerry can of clean, filtered water costs 5 Kenyan shillings — every day of the year, crisis or not.

That consistency is intentional. We made a decision years ago that we would never take advantage of a crisis. Women know that no matter what's happening with supply elsewhere, they can come to a Human Needs Project water point and pay a fair, unchanging price.

Today, with the support of our partners Grundfos and WaterHope, we operate six community water points across Kibera, with a seventh digital water point recently added. But in a community of roughly 600,000 people, the need is still enormous.

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Voices of Kibera: told in their own words

Two years ago, through our Voices of Kibera initiative, we invited local artists to tell the stories that matter most to them. One of those artists, Broken Angel, wrote a powerful spoken word piece about this very issue.

LISTEN IT

No woman should have to trade her body for water.

Help us build more water points and keep clean water affordable for everyone in Kibera.

Every dollar raised goes toward long-term infrastructure — more water points, better filtration, and services that give women in Kibera a safer, more dignified way to meet a basic human need. Thank you for being part of this work.

With gratitude,

The Human Needs Project Team