Stories from the Field
As we work to provide water, we're committed to helping people like you meet your global neighbors and to realize that we all share the same basic needs. We hope to break down stereotypes and the false distinctions between the so-called winners and losers, rich and poor, the needy and charitable, by introducing you to the people we serve with the respect and admiration they rightfully deserve.
These are stories of hope, told in the words of those who carry out this work every day - our friends in the field.
A Year Later: "It is now very easy to get water from the shallow well."
A year ago, Ivumbu's people worked together to build a sand dam and shallow well system. Since then, life has changed. "Before the construction of this sand dam, we walked for long in search of water. We could trek for 1.5 kilometers to the source," said 55-year-old farmer Mary Minoo. "The water was not always available, especially during dry seas...
A Year Later: Protected water and healthy hygiene practices!
Last year the hand-dug well serving this area of the community of Rosint could not provide enough water to meet everyone's needs. Not only that, but the well was also prone to contamination from multiple sources, making its water unsafe to consume. "Before, the old water point was a hand pump, but it was not [protected], and animals like sheep, go...
A Year Later: "I feel good fetching water here"
"We collected water from a passing stream near the school. We had stomachaches, and it was very cloudy during the day because it was made dirty upstream. The water [only] helped us for cleaning and other school work," said 13-year-old Joseph M. "We no longer carry containers from home to school. I feel good fetching water here because it makes me ...
A Year Later: "A steady supply of water even during the dry months"
Before a sand dam was installed in Kasioni Community last year, community members spent countless hours searching for water, leaving them exhausted and still without sufficient water to meet all of their needs. "We experienced water scarcity because this area is semi-arid, and the nearby rivers are seasonal. We used to walk over five kilometers to...
A Year Later: Water helps improve grades!
Before we helped to install a well in Kasioni Community last year, community members spent countless hours searching for water. This left them exhausted and still without sufficient water to meet all of their needs. "I had to help in fetching water for the household; thus, I could walk several kilometers to fetch water and come back home," said 15...