A Year Later: Dorcas Has Time to Read!

Dorcas N., 13, described her challenges using the previously unprotected spring. "It used to be survival for the fittest, especially when we would be sent from school to come and fetch water from this spring. With community members and us at the spring, drawing water from [the] unprotected source only meant contaminating the water more when fighting for access. Some pupils would get injured due to the poor terrain. We would take [a] long [time] before going back to school, thus wasting learning time. The same applied when fetching water for home use."

When asked how the spring protection has impacted her life in the last year, Dorcas commented, "Aaaah! Right now, it's like drawing water from a huge tank that never goes dry. These huge pipes with lots of water have made it so easy for me and my fellow pupils to fetch water for both school and home use. We no longer scramble over water at this spring."

She continued, "I have been able to save on time, especially at home, and taken the time to read my books. Spending less time at the spring has enabled me to achieve that."