Kindly Donated by St Columba's School Through Purchases of Life Water

“My name is Ayak Thou Awer, and I am 26 years old. I am married and have three children—one boy and two girls. Unfortunately, none of my children have been able to attend school because my husband passed away two years ago, leaving me as the sole provider. My youngest child, a boy, was born after my husband’s death. My children desperately want to go to school, but I struggle just to provide enough food to feed them. Last week, our well broke, forcing us to collect water from the pond and a neighboring well. I had a terrible experience at the neighboring well when I got into a fight with another woman who removed my jerrycan from the line and slapped me. Many others also collect water from the pond, which is not safe for their health because pond water is easily contaminated. At the neighboring well, I was asked by the Water Management Committee (WMC) to pay 2,000 SSP as a contribution fee, while at our well, we only paid 1,000 SSP when it was broken. Pond water is always full of diseases, and many people do not know how to treat it to make it safe for drinking and cooking at home. Today, we are excited because our well is functioning again. We will finally have safe, clean water to use at home. There will be no more fighting and quarreling among us now that we no longer have to gather at the same well. Previously, food was often delayed because of the lack of a nearby water source, but today, everyone will be able to cook early in the evening. This is especially important during the wet season when mosquitoes are abundant and can make it difficult for children to enjoy their meals.”

Ayak Thou Awer, Community Member.

This project was undertaken as part of our campaign of projects that actively reduce carbon emissions. This project helped the community save their much needed wood which was previously being burnt daily to boil water. This project has also eliminated the many thousands of hours previously spent on walking to collect water.