Nehemiah Construction Ministries U.K. (NCM)
Two friends, Les Saunders and John Harrison visited Kenya several times from 1996 to 2008 and had always been involved in construction, particularly in the arid, semi desert region of Turkana. On every visit to Kenya, and in particular, Turkana and Pokot, they were always confronted by the single, biggest need – the people were desperate for clean water! It was in 2008 that their vision to supply clean water was birthed and they shared this vision with a few other friends. The charity, known as Nehemiah Construction Ministries U.K., was formed and Les, John, Brian Mahan, Kenny Johnson & Will Symons became the first volunteer Trustees of the charity. Soon the Charity was registered with the Charities Commission, Companies House and HMRC.
In 2009 the Charity embarked on a specific project to raise money for a new rotary drilling rig and support vehicle, costing in the region of £130,000 (eventually rising to nearly £200.000), to enhance the work already being carried out by many charities in Kenya. The fundraising began when a local youth leader (Chedzy Wild) mobilised his youth group (More than RaW) to fundraise. During that year, they were responsible for raising approximately £35,000. Their efforts inspired many other people in different parts of the UK to give to this important project – senior citizens groups in Hastings and Peterborough, students at Brighton College, churches in Peterborough, plus gifts from individuals from all over the UK. An anonymous gift of £10,000 was also received. In addition, some substantial gifts were received from four charitable trusts.
The result was that a new rotary drilling rig and support vehicle were ordered, and then manufactured by PWF Engineering in Biggleswade, who had manufactured in excess of 200 rigs, support vehicles and associated equipment for use in Africa. This new rig and support vehicle was the first that they had supplied to Kenya. The rig was mounted on a low mileage ex-British military Bedford TM 6×6 truck and similarly the support vehicle was a low mileage Bedford TM 4×4 truck. Both vehicles were compatible in many ways and ideally suited to working in areas not accessible by road. The use of these vehicles was also a considerable cost saving. They were however over the 8year old rule for importation of vehicles into Kenya. In 2009, before starting this project an informal meeting was had with KEBS in Nairobi to determine whether it would be possible to obtain permission to import the two vehicles into Kenya. After a positive response, the fundraising and manufacture of the equipment could proceed. Click here for a copy of the technical specification of this equipment.
Newsletter
Click here for a copy of the newsletter March 2016 to NCM UK supporters. The drilling rig and support vehicle were transported to Tilbury docks and then shipped to Kenya in early 2016. On arrival in the Port of Mombasa, it took some time before they could be released and then driven northwest to Kitale in north-west Kenya (Virtually the whole width of the country). They are still drilling and refurbishing boreholes in Kenya.
The Years of New Beginnings
2016 - 2019
This section contains Supporter Newsletters, Reports and Photos of some of the drilling operations. Please click on the appropriate Link
Newsletter – Spring 2017
Waitaluk – Community Impact Report Report 2017
West Special School Chwele – Community Impact Report 2017
Kenya Children’s Project Kakamenga – 2018
The Years of the Big Changes 2020 - 2024 and the arrival of NECOWAS
The Move
The initial Agreement
The relationship with the local communities has been grown over the years, with the result that in 2022, we supported and encouraged the setting up of a local Community Based Organisation (CBO), a registered non-governmental, non-profit and non-political business organisation for
- the domestic economic development of the local communities,
- to help train and equip local communities to raise above poverty and
- so to become more self-reliant, by the benefit of good sanitation systems, local successful irrigation schemes and other related projects.
In addition, the development within the local communities of local skills by training in maintenance of pump and relevant infrastructure is of paramount importance and is needed for projects to be successful for the welfare and overall economic development for the community.
In July 2023 Les, as International Operations Manager was on the CBO Board of Trustees at the Initial Foundation meeting of the CBO see LINK along with Ricky Strickland along with Rick Strickland and Philip, a long-serving tribal chief.
On 7th August 2023, the Certificate of Registration CBO 00899 was granted to the new company, Nehemiah Community Water Services, (NECOWAS) based at PO Box 2342 Kitale, Trans Nzoia County, Trans Zoia West District, Postal Code 30200
In the light of this major move, the Board continued to appropriately re-shape the activities of the Charity.
- In June 2024, a Resolution for an Agreement was accepted and signed off by both parties whereby all of the drilling equipment including vehicles, located at Konya, West Pokot and owned by the Charity, was allowed to be crewed, maintained and operated by NECOWAS without rental payments for the use of the equipment, subject to some initial actions being realised. Currently, Les Saunders oversees that this Agreement is being kept and purchases necessary equipment.
- This operates mainly in the Turkana and Pokot region of northwest Kenya where the drilling rigs and support vehicles are located – and both organisations welcome the opportunities to work alongside and in partnership with similar-minded other organisations.
As a result of this, the aims of the Charity have been recognised to be simply to support and work alongside in the development of NECOWAS by continuing the initial necessary tasks of fundraising, providing licences, offering advice and by shared management of establishing NECOWAS until it became a self-sufficient organisation. The Charity Commission will be informed on this development in early 2025.
