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: "I am very proud of myself now."
Previously, students in Waysaya Community had to get up far too early in the morning to collect water before heading to school, leaving them exhausted and unable to concentrate in class. 18-year-old Emma F, whom we interviewed when the project's construction was completed last year, recalled how things were before. "It was very difficult for me b...
A Year Later: "I look forward to school days."
When we first visited Gimomoi Primary School, the students spent much of their time searching for and collecting water instead of being in class learning. "[Fetching water] was such a hard and boring task. I did not enjoy it at all. Sometimes we would have to be sent to go out during class hours to go get water, especially when guests were around,...
A Year Later: "The Whole Community is Benefiting"
Before we rehabilitated the well at Susu Gospel Primary School, students had to leave school grounds to get water or use the restroom. "It was very challenging to get water," said Magdalene N'danema, a teacher and the chairperson of the school's water user committee. "There was no pure drinking water, and the children were always sick from diarrh...
A Year Later: No More Carrying Water to School!
The students at Mutulani Primary School used to spend much of their days before and even during classes searching for and collecting water because there was no available water source on their school campus. "Initially, we experienced a lot of challenges pertaining [to] water. We had to carry water from home. Myself, I would walk for almost a kilom...
A Year Later: "I never fetch water from the swamp anymore."
Before we rehabilitated the well in Makontho, the only source of water for all the community members was the local swamp, which was both far away and an open, unprotected source. "We were fetching water from the swamp," said 18-year-old Memunatu B. "This water source was not safe or pure to drink. Drinking this water caused stomach pain for me, an...