Gift Dreams of Being a Water Hygiene Ambassador!

Last year, your gift unlocked the potential for a brighter future for Gift. Since then, she and the St. Veronica Kimaran Secondary School of 246 students have had clean, reliable water. Your contribution has made a significant impact. Thank you for making a difference!

"The best thing about living with clean water is that one is sure of not getting sick due to waterborne diseases," said Gift.

Before the Well's Installation

Like many in Kenya, 16-year-old Gift is responsible for collecting water to meet her daily water needs. Before last year’s water intervention, this task stole her time and negatively affected her.

Student at the distant spring before the well was installed.

Drinking the water caused severe consequences. Many in her school suffered from waterborne diseases that created health problems, affecting their daily lives. Limited accessibility also meant students wasted time collecting sufficient water to meet their needs. The difficult journey to collect water sapped their physical and emotional energy, creating roadblocks. For Gift, in particular, it lessened her opportunity for a well-rounded education.

"To get water before this project was completed was so hectic because the spring was two kilometers (over one mile!), which was a long distance to get water for more than one round. At the spring we were also forced to queue with my fellow students and wait for our turn because of the large crowd at the spring," she said.

Since the Well's Installation

Your generous gift last year was much more than a simple donation; it was a powerful statement about your commitment to this community and Gift’s future. By supporting the water solution, you made clean water an everyday reality, fostering hope for a brighter future.

Gift at the well.

Reliable and clean water lays the groundwork for improved health, education, and economic possibilities, allowing people to thrive. We frequently hear from those we interview that "water is life!"

"My hygiene has changed from a year ago because previously it wasn't easy for one to clean the classes neatly, due to the tiresome process of fetching water. Now the classes are neatly cleaned because the borehole [well] is at the school compound making it easier to fetch water. I do remember dental hygiene and handwashing techniques, which were presented to us at the hygiene training," said Gift.

"Since the project was implemented my health has changed because now my parents are not spending most of their resources on my medication, due to the clean water I enjoy at the school. I have improved in my academics, since the time I usually used to go and fetch water from the spring, has been diverted to revisions and studies," she continued.

Gift watering a tree.

Gift is not only healthier but she feels safer too. She shared, "Nowadays I do not usually worry about safety when fetching water, because the borehole is located at the school compound, which is a free place to fetch water as compared to the spring, which is located at the community and surrounded [by] bushes which can be habitats of harmful animals."

The Future is Looking Bright!

A year ago, you made a difference for Gift and the rest of her school. This is just the first chapter of their story as access to clean water continues to improve their lives!

At The Water Project, we value sustainability and want to ensure that people continue to thrive. We commit to monitoring this project to ensure the water is always flowing and safe to consume. We inspect the system hardware, track water availability, conduct sanitary inspections, and collect water quality samples to identify risks. We work with our team on the ground to resolve them.

You gave Gift a crucial tool for achieving her dreams: access to clean water. Together, we can excitedly expect that with this precious resource, her enthusiasm and courage will help fulfill dreams.

"My dream is to become a journalist in [the] future and be an ambassador of water hygiene," said Gift.

Gift (left), a student and their teacher at the well.