Patient Care Improves with Clean Water!

Last year, your gift unlocked the potential for a brighter future for Martha. Since then, she and the other staff, patients, and residents living around Musango Health Center have had clean, reliable water. Your contribution has made a significant impact. Thank you for making a difference!

"What l like about fetching water here is that it is easily accessible and water is available throughout [all] the seasons. All departments have water, all through [the year] and there is no shortage of water," said 53-year-old nurse Martha Ndahuya, who we spoke to when we first visited the health center.

Before the Well's Installation

As a staff nurse, Martha was responsible for collecting water to meet both her patients and her personal daily water needs. Before last year’s water intervention, that task stole her time and negatively affected her ability to provide proper medical care to her patients.

Martha collected water from a rain tank before the well implementation.

Collecting the from the previous water sources, a contaminated dug well and a rain tank was tedious and often impossible during the dry season driving her outside of the health center grounds in search of sufficient water instead of providing timely medical care. The water she did find often caused severe consequences, leaving her and her patients suffering from waterborne diseases that created further health problems, affecting their daily lives. Collecting water sapped her physical and emotional energy.

"Previously, we used to fetch water from a dug well within the facility that was shallow. I used to drop the bucket down and as l pulled it [up], it came up contaminated with dirt that is inside the well. The shallow well, due to slow water recharge, ran out of water. During [the] dry season it dried up completely. The rainwater tanks used to serve us during [the] rainy season [but] during [the] dry season the tanks remained empty. Sometimes we would go around the community to ask for permission from those who have dug wells to fetch water so that we could use [it] in the facility," shared Martha.

"It was strenuous because the facility had only the hand-dug well and the rain tanks that served the facility in all departments; both of the water sources dried up during [the] dry season."

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 Martha and this community’s future. By supporting the water solution, you made clean water an everyday reality for her, fostering hope for a brighter future.

Martha collects water from the well.

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

"I rarely get ill. Initially, l used to fall sick because of the shallow well that was contaminated and the rainwater tanks that had insects in [them]. l would drink the water and get ill and that would affect my service to the patients that came for medication," said Martha.

"The best thing about living with clean water is that now the patients who come for inpatient and outpatient services can drink it. Also, the inpatients can get water to bathe comfortably, [and] we can wash the bedding. We attend to the maternity wing comfortably. We sterilize the equipment, using the clean water we have now."

The Future is Looking Bright!

A year ago, you made a difference for Martha and the rest of those at the Musango Health Center and in the surrounding community. This is just the first chapter of their story as access to clean water continues to improve their lives!

Drinking station for staff and patients.

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 Martha a crucial tool for achieving her work and dreams: access to clean water.

"Because of the borehole, we were able to upgrade our maternity wing because we have plenty of water within the facility. Women give birth here and also stay here after giving birth; then they go [home] the next day," exclaimed Martha.

Handwashing stations for patients.