IntroductionA community is defined as a group of people living in the same geographic area with shared interests, principles, and values. Communities are not monolithic and have differences in power structures, class, gender and race. Community-based programming must therefore take into account the unique structure of each community to establish effective programs that meet the needs of each community. In this article I will examine the Chesilot Water Project, one of the successful community programs explored in Were's book “Local Organization and Gender in Water Management: A Case Study from the Kenya Highlands”. Africa and the world. Therefore, there are many areas with inadequate access to safe and sufficient water. WHO estimates that only 12% of rural Kenyans have domestic water connections (WHO/UNICEF, 2004). During the 1980s, the Kenyan government recognized the importance of local initiatives for managing water resources in rural areas and improving water supplies (Were et al, 2008). Since then, there have been several water projects across the country. In 1997, ten male farmers in Kericho District, Kenya, started the Chesilot Water Project. Its main goal was to “protect water sources and channel water to its members' farms” to increase access to safe and sufficient water for their agricultural and domestic needs (Were et al., 2008 ). Although it was largely community-based, there were collaborative efforts between the community and two local government agencies; the Ministry of Water and the Department of Social Services. The members of the Chesilot Water project came from a rural community where women and men have of...... middle of paper ......with Paulo Freire, a successful popular educator, emphasis on the discussion cycle , awareness and action. The ability of Chesilot Water project members to successfully implement a water project through effective community organizing makes the Chesilot Water project a good model for conducting community-based programming. Works Cited Were, E., Roy, J., & Swallow, B. (2008). Local organization and gender in water management: a case study from the Kenyan highlands. Journal of International Development, 20(1), 69-81. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.WHO/UNICEF. 2004. Coverage Estimates, Improved Drinking Water, Kenya. World Health Organization/United Nations Children's Fund, Joint Water Supply and Sanitation Monitoring Programme, Geneva, Switzerland; http://www.wssinfo.org/en/welcome.html, last accessed 18 October 2007. World Resources Institute.