A Year Later: Unity Amongst the Community!

Before we protected Mulenje Spring, it was very difficult for Indulusia's community members to fetch water.

"A small pipe was placed in one of the eyes of the spring," said 29-year-old farmer Gloria. "That being the case, the discharge speed was very low, forcing us to overstay at the spring."

The long time spent fetching water meant people waiting in lines would get impatient with one another, leading to conflicts amongst community members.

"I used to avoid going to the spring because there was a lot of conflicts at the water point in the name of waiting for water to fill up the container," explained 13-year-old Mukasia.

But now, thankfully, all that has changed. No one has to wait in line at the water point, and it takes seconds to fill up a jerrycan.

"Nowadays, it's easy and enjoyable to draw water because it's direct from the pipe," Gloria said. "The discharge is good, and no one has a reason to overstay at the spring. [I] am able to do other duties knowing that I will spend very little time to fill my water containers."

Now, Indulusia's people are enjoying the effects of having clean, accessible water.

"The rate of waterborne diseases has gone down," Gloria said. "The money that was spent on medication is used for other development activities. [I] am now living a healthy life together with my family."

"I enjoy drawing water because it has been made easy," Mukasia concluded. "I make countless trips to the spring since very little time is spent [fetching water], and there is no overcrowding at the water point. There is unity among the community members, and this has been my prayer for a very long time."

Mukasia and Gloria at the protected spring.