A Year Later: Better Hygiene, Better Health

Before we protected the spring in Mundoli last year, collecting water from the stream was an arduous task that took up a lot of time. Community members would try to scoop water into their jugs and jerrycans as carefully as they could so dirt and sediment wouldn't contaminate their water. All this effort served to make the water clearer and easier to sieve, but, unfortunately, it didn't protect them from water-related illnesses.

"People were forced to fetch drinking water very early in the morning, as later on it could be dirtified by careless scooping," explained Faith. "As a child, I found it hard waking up early to go fetch water before going to school."

But now that protected water flows straight from the spring's discharge pipe, getting water takes much less time. And the spring's water no longer poses a health risk to the people drinking it.

"Getting drinking water now is very easy because I can go fetch anytime," Faith said. "I am also able to wash my uniform daily and carry clean, safe drinking water to school. Through [the] protection of this water point, clean water has always been available for me to do [my] personal cleanliness and carry out house chores, such as washing utensils and cooking."

Faith, center, with a community member and our field officer at the spring.