Stories from the Field

Water doesn't change anything. People Do.

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.




See the Impact of Clean Water - A Year Later: Better Business!

A Year Later: Better Business!

Before we rehabilitated the well in Masoila last year, people spent hours each day walking from well to well and waiting in long lines just hoping for a chance to fill their containers. Getting water was an arduous and thankless task. "Before this time, we and [our] children were having a lot of constraints to fetch water," said 21-year-old trader...

See the Impact of Clean Water - A Year Later:

A Year Later: "I never thought I would own a green farm."

"Before the construction of this sand dam, we faced various challenges because getting water was a difficult ordeal," said 42-year-old Ann Mbuvi. Before this past year, life was not easy for Ann and the other community members. They spent most of their time and energy just trying to find enough water to meet their basic needs, ending every day exh...

See the Impact of Clean Water - A Year Later: The Goodness of Having Clean Water

A Year Later: The Goodness of Having Clean Water

Last year, before a well was installed in Kathungutu Community, community members had to walk nearly three kilometers to collect water. “Before the construction of this project, life was very hard. We used to get water from very far [away], and the water was not very safe for drinking. We did not have enough water for maintaining our hygiene and...

See the Impact of Clean Water - A Year Later: Getting water is the easiest part of the day!

A Year Later: Getting water is the easiest part of the day!

"Before the project, getting water was such an uphill task for me," said 10-year-old Shakrider when describing what life was like for her and other students before we installed a rain tank at her school last year. "This involved me carrying a ten-liter bottle from home full of water. By the time I arrived at school, I was already tired." "Getting...

See the Impact of Clean Water - A Year Later:

A Year Later: "I can't believe this is real."

Before we installed a well in Robay village last year, people had to walk miles to a faraway swamp to fetch water that would inevitably make them sick. For 17-year-old Mariatu, walking the long distance was an everyday occurrence, and it wasn't only the long walk that bothered her. "There was a very big challenge for me between fetching water and...