Damaged Gutters Threatened Junior’s Education. How We Brought the Water Back

When our monitoring team visited the rainwater harvesting tank at Iyenga Primary School in April, it was fully functional. But just three months later, our team member arrived to find the rain tank broken — and a school in crisis.

We remain in regular (at least quarterly!) contact with every community, school, and health center we serve, so it came as a surprise to discover the rain tank had stopped providing water to the school’s students. 

All we knew was that we needed to fix this situation immediately.  

The Crisis — from Junior’s Perspective

Without the tank’s regular supply of water, the school’s students were living as they had before the tank’s installation in March 2018.

Junior, a 14-year-old student, was not used to living without water on school grounds. But because the tank’s issue had yet to be reported, he spent a few weeks living out a nightmare that many students whose schools lack access to safe water suffer through every day. 

“We faced challenges, despite ongoing rainfall, because water was not entering the tank as expected,” Junior explained. “As a result, we implemented a rationing system for water usage. We felt disappointed and frustrated.” 

Junior’s frustration is understandable, given the many ways a school needs water to keep functioning. For those few weeks, most of the school’s water needs became the students’ responsibility. 

“Students had to bring water from home and from a nearby community spring,” Junior said. “This was tedious and exhausting for us, especially since we also had to carry our school bags. Balancing a container of water with a school bag made it difficult, causing many students to arrive late and miss morning remedial classes (study/tutoring periods).”

“During the day, if water was insufficient, we had to go to the partially protected spring to fetch water, and this was a daunting task for us,” Junior shared. “The partially protected spring overflows with stormwater, making it inaccessible. The water there becomes dirty, and collecting it is time-consuming.”

“This situation affected our routine cleaning schedules,” Junior continued. “We typically clean classrooms weekly and toilets daily, but limited water availability hindered these efforts. Additionally, our feeding (lunch) program, which relies heavily on water, had to adjust to the restricted supply, impacting the volume of water used in the kitchen.”

Being a student at Iyenga Primary School during this time was exhausting, frustrating, and demoralizing. 

45% of schools in sub-Saharan Africa lack even a basic source of water on school grounds. We would never let a school we serve add to that sad number. That’s why we needed to fix the rain tank as soon as we could.

What repairs did we make?

“Our field officer found the rainwater tank completely non-functional, with visible damage to both the piping system and the tap that dispenses water from the tank,” said our Director of Monitoring, Evaluation, Resolution, and Learning Allison Gregory. 

“Upon further inspection during a follow-up Operations & Maintenance visit, a trained technician identified issues with the tank’s guttering system as well. These are all issues that our team routinely addresses, but in combination, they create a significant barrier to water access.”

Because these are issues our team encounters often, the repairs themselves were straightforward.

“First, the Operations & Maintenance team repaired the damaged gutters and removed debris that could prevent water from reaching the tank,” Allison explained. “Properly maintained gutters are crucial to ensuring water availability. Since damaged gutters can leak or spill water, even minor damage can mean less water for students.” 

“Next, they repaired the pipe and tap system that dispenses water from the tank,” Allison said. “Maintaining this part of the tank ensures that students can access the water in the tank when they need it.”

After the tank was once again ready to receive rain, our technicians moved on to fixing the issues at the access point. They reinforced the tap itself so that it would be easier for the students to use and last longer. Then, they fixed some structural damage to the access point’s walls with waterproof cement as well as sand and gravel provided by the school administration. 

With that, the tank was back in working order!

After the Repair

At that point, students just needed to wait for the next rainstorm to fill  the tank, which thankfully happened almost immediately. Our team members returned to ensure water was flowing, and to snap a few photos of the repaired tank being used by some grateful students.

While our staff was at the school, they also caught up with Junior, who was now doing much better.

“We are very excited that our water point has been fully restored and is now operational again!” Junior said. “This improvement means we no longer need to fetch water from the spring, which previously exposed us to unsafe and contaminated water, posing health risks. With easy access to clean, safe, and reliable water, we can focus better on our studies. I am personally excited, as this will help me work towards my goal of becoming a teacher.”

“If this water point couldn’t be repaired, it would have serious consequences for hygiene and sanitation in the school community,” Junior continued. “Unfortunately, that could increase the risk of waterborne diseases like typhoid, dysentery, and diarrhea. These health challenges would likely lead to many children missing school, which is heartbreaking. Ultimately, this could affect our academic performance and the overall average scores of the school.”

Junior also shared a sweet message to those who donate to our Water Promise program, which helps monitor and maintain water points like Junior’s tank.

“Knowing that people from afar cared enough to donate and help restore our water point to full functionality is heartwarming,” he said. “It is a great example of how kindness and generosity can cross distances and make a real difference in other people’s lives. 

“Their support does not just fix a water point; it transforms lives. It’s about more than just access to clean water — it’s about health, education, and opportunities. By continuing to support communities like ours, they are investing in a brighter future, empowering people to thrive, and creating a lasting impact. Their kindness ripples out, touching generations to come. It’s not just about finishing a project; it’s about building a foundation for long-term change.”

As such an eloquent spokesperson, Junior will make an excellent teacher when the time comes. And thanks to our monitoring and maintenance work, he can continue to work toward that dream uninterrupted.

Because of supporters like you, Junior and his classmates can once again focus on learning instead of carrying water. But there are still countless schools and communities relying on us to keep their water points working day after day, year after year.

Your gift to our Water Promise program helps ensure quick, reliable repairs whenever something breaks — before a temporary setback becomes a lasting crisis.

Will you join us in keeping water flowing for Junior and students like him?

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