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: Achieving Food Security!
“Before the construction of this sand dam, we were faced with great water challenges," said 79-year-old farmer Rebecca Isaac, whom we interviewed on our first visit to Nduumoni. Before we helped to install a sand dam and shallow well in Rebecca's community, the 2,875 community members walked incredibly far distances to access water. This constru...
A Year Later: "Now, I get to enjoy my game time after class"
Before a rain tank was installed at Muhaya Secondary School last year, students spent large amounts of their time and energy collecting water to meet their daily needs. It left them exhausted and unable to concentrate in school. "I had to wake up very early in the morning to go to the spring at home to fetch water which I [would] carry to school. ...
A Year Later: "Now, we don't have constraints for water"
Before the well in Suctarr was rehabilitated last year, community members had to wait in long lines at faraway wells to collect the water they needed for the day. "Before, this water source was seasonal and, most times, overcrowded, which caused me not to fetch water on time," said 13-year-old Beatrice C. "[I was] sometimes late to go to school." ...
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...