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Jerrycan

© Michele Camicia

Water is becoming an increasingly scarce resource for the population in the Horn of Africa. The region is in its fifth consecutive failed rainfall season and is now experiencing the impacts of one of the worst climate-induced emergencies of the past 60 years.

At least 36.4 million people are now affected by the most prolonged and severe drought in recent history, 4.4 million just in Kenya, including millions of children.
Water scarcity is killing livestock, drying up crops and driving families from their homes in search of water.

Millions of women and girls responsible for water collection have to walk longer distances to access water—in many instances, up to double or triple the distances they would walk before—exacerbating their potential exposure to gender-based violence and impacting their access to education and opportunities to study.

Water collection can also affect the whole family's health, particularly children; even if collected from a safe source, the transport and storage phase could increase the risk of contamination.




Their primary way to collect and transport water back to their village is through the use of the so-called Jerrycan, a water tank of 20 litres for adults and 10 for children, placed on their backs through ropes.

Each person has his own; they may have been donated by an NGO, purchased from the nearest town or recycled from previous uses. Whatever the way they came into possession, now these, albeit with their bright colours, tell of the daily difficulties they face to get water for their families and livestock.

They could be similar in shape and colour, but everyone has a personal story behind them.

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