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: "The water is safe and pure to drink"
Before we rehabilitated the well in Tintafor last year, community members spent most of their time collecting water from the local swamp to meet their daily water needs because the well was not functional. "The water was not pure to drink because it had [the] odor [of a] swamp. There were minor cracks and pools of standing water on top of the well...
A Year Later: "We are so happy for this development"
Before a new well was installed in the Masoila Community, people, especially children, found it difficult to find sufficient water to meet their daily needs. "It was not easy for us, the children, as most times we are sent by our parents to go and fetch water for the mosque. The distance is far off from the mosque, and the place we used to fetch w...
A Year Later: No More Purchasing Water!
Before we installed a rain tank at Kasyalani Mixed Day Secondary School, the students had to walk long distances to collect water and found their learning environment less than ideal. "The rampant water scarcity within the school caused a lot of issues. For instance, we had to walk about a kilometer to draw water from one of the community members,...
A Year Later: "I can smile and laugh."
Last year, Mwinami Spring was difficult to access safely and its water was contaminated, causing people to become ill with water-related illnesses. "Life has not been easy [for] me," said 13-year-old Vivian S. "I used to carry jerrycans for collecting water, [and the] drawing point [would be] full of water, which made it uneasy to access. Much tim...
A Year Later: Time to Read!
Last year, before we installed a rain tank at St. Elizabeth Shipala Primary School, students had to haul water to school with them, which left them exhausted and often late to school. "I used to waste a lot of time going to the pump, time that I could have used in studying," said 11-year-old Sharon W. But since we installed a rain tank right on s...