A Year Later: "Learning is now fun!"

"Before the project, life was really tough," said 12-year-old Irene A. "Every morning, I had to come [to school] with my 20-liter water container full of water. Then, later in the evening, [I had to] go to the river again to get more water to be used for cleaning purposes. This really made me dread waking up every morning for school."

A year ago, Itabalia's students spent a significant amount of time and energy sourcing water for the school's everyday needs. But since we installed a rain tank on school grounds, students can use their time on better things.

"Now, everything has [been] made easy," Irene said. "All I have to do is go to the water tank, open it, and fetch my water. Learning is now fun because I no longer reach the school tired from carrying water."

And because the rain tank is protected and monitored, Irene and Itabalia's other students no longer have to worry about water-related illnesses.

"With this water point, I no longer have episodes of diarrhea and stomach upsets," Irene said. "Also, the water point has helped us maintain high standards of hygiene and sanitation around the school. Our classes and toilets are washed daily."

With a clean environment and time to study and dream, the students of Itabalia Primary School now have brighter futures ahead of them.