A Year Later: Better Grades and a Kitchen Garden!

Before we helped to create a sand dam and shallow well in Mbitini, water was so scarce that it adversely affected the lives of everyone living there.

“In the past, I had to walk several kilometers to [the] Mbitini River to enable our cattle [to] drink water, because I am usually tasked with herding cattle during the holidays and weekends," said 13-year-old David M. "There was also little water at home for personal hygiene and sanitation because we had to use sparingly.”

But now, the amount of time everyone spends walking for water has drastically reduced, leaving them with better living standards and more time to do other things.

“The implemented water project is easily accessible and enables [me] to spend little time to fetch water, unlike before," David continued. "The water is also clean because the shallow well is protected against human and animal contamination. Thus, I am no longer exposed to infections like dysentery, amoeba, or typhoid. I no longer spend time and energy looking for water, and it feels good to easily fetch water from this water point. Also, getting our goats and cattle to drink water is now much easier."

Now, David's gardens are flourishing and his academic performance is on the rise.

“This water point offers sufficient water for irrigating our crops, and I have also set up a kitchen garden at home to improve the quality of our diet," David concluded. "My grades in school will soar higher because I have more time for studies and other constructive activities, like playing or [talking] with my friends."

Note: The system has visible rust due to the presence of iron in the water. While iron found in drinking water is usually an aesthetic quality, the community can still use the water without concern for health issues. This well was designed to protect against outside contamination and provide safer water than the unprotected sources this community was using. We will continue to keep a close eye on the water quality of this water system through our quarterly monitoring program.