Geothermal Direct Use Utilization for Community Empowerment in Nakuru

A common peculiarity observed around geothermally active regions is that the community living in and around this area tend to be impoverished or facing food insecurity. The economic venture partaken is either subsistence farming where excess crop is sold, dairy farming, or poultry rearing all on a small-scale basis. Despite in-depth research and development to promote geothermal power generation, not much has been done in the field of Direct Use. Under-utilization of low-temperature geothermal fields present in our community land manifested by hot water in bore-holes is prevalent. This is due to a gap in general knowledge on geothermal technology and its usage other than for power generation. Further compounded is the unavailability of innovative based incubation centers for geothermal technology that easily can be mitigated by collaborating with institutions of learning such as colleges or universities. Solutions can be found if we take a proactive step in determining the geographical scope of the resource, and creating its awareness of its immense benefits to the community around it. With an initial minimum budget of Kes 150,000, and working on a timescale of 30 days, we intend to lay the foundation of promoting direct uses in Nakuru county for the betterment of its citizens. We intend to give the community a practical demonstration of how easy it is to harness and utilize geothermal resources inexpensively and reap maximum benefits from doing so. We intend to empower the community to begin self-sufficiency and independency before venturing slowly towards manufacturing of products. Whole new exiting possibilities can arise simply by giving the community a revolutionary idea that has been implemented elsewhere with stunning results.