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: No More Danger!
The people of Machemo used to get their water from a slippery, algae-ridden spring dug into a swampy area. Normally, kids fetch water for families in Kenya, but in Machemo, that was impossible. "We [kids] rarely used to get water here because the spring was in a bush and was a hole, so our parents felt it dangerous for us," nine-year-old Melvin A....
A Year Later: Better and better!
The students at Lutali Primary School used to share water sources outside their school campus with community members. Collecting water took lots of time and effort, and the water often made them sick with water-related illnesses. "Before we got the borehole, we used to go and fetch water from a river nearby. A lot of time [was] wasted in search of...
A Year Later: Sharing What He Sows
"Before this project, life was totally unbearable here, as we are located in a region that receives little or no rainfall all through the year," 64-year-old farmer Benson Mutuku. "During dry seasons, the river could dry, then a journey to search for water would set off. Community members would trek for around five kilometers to reach a dam which co...
A Year Later: Savings for Storybooks!
Before we protected the spring in Mwituma last year, community members had to mince their way down a steep slope in order to access the water each day. Community members reported many falls and injuries from fetching water. "Before the protection of the spring, it was hard for me to access [the] water because it [was such a] slippery slope," said ...
A Year Later: "We get water anytime we want."
Finding and collecting sufficient water to meet the needs at Burundu Primary School used to be a serious problem that often kept students out of class for most of the school day. "We used to get water at [the] market dug well," said 12-year-old Chelsea. "When [it was] broken, we went to fetch water at the spring [in] Kamchisu village. The water wa...