A Year Later: "Water is safe for me to drink"

A year ago, regardless of how carefully community members in Kalenda collected water from Sanya Spring, they still had to sieve it. And although the water looked cleaner, it was still contaminated and made them ill.

"It has not been [an] uneasy journey to me. I used to crouch when [I] was fetching water, and this caused contamination of [the] water. [The] water could take much time before settling down, and you could see waste products floating on [the] water surface. [The] collecting space was not enough, and [it was] muddy," said 14-year-old Purity S.

But last year, the spring was protected, and now collecting water is much easier and quicker. And best of all, the collected water no longer makes people sick.

"Accessing water [does not have the] challenges that we used to have. I can collect several containers at a time and also, and many people can fetch water without wasting time. [The] water is safe for me to drink. [I am] bathing and washing clothes without seeing stains," said Purity.

"My health has positively improved compared to the past, [and] this has really contributed to my academic performance in school. One of the achievements is not missing my morning preps and also ensuring the time set for studies is being followed," concluded Purity.

With less time spent collecting water and more time studying, Purity's future looks bright.