Families: 73
Water Committee: 4 men and 6 women

For decades, the people of Mbuyawo lived without reliable water. The shallow well, 700 meters away, often ran dry, and during the dry season villagers trekked one and a half kilometers to the river—digging for water when necessary. The rainy season brought another challenge: every source became contaminated, bringing cholera and diarrhea. Agnes Lambo, a member of the Water Committee, battled cholera for two years, while a girl tragically died at the chief’s home three years ago. Families made the long 10-kilometer journey to the clinic multiple times each month, often carrying the sick, only to see others struggling along the way.

A single bucket of water once demanded leaving home at 3 a.m. and returning at 7 a.m. Husbands worried, jealousy flared, and women described feeling like “slaves to something in our house—the water.” Children missed school, clothes were dirty, and many girls fell behind.

Everything changed with the new borehole. Villagers now collect six or seven buckets a day, bathe three or four times, and send their children to school on time. Girls are attending school regularly, dreaming of becoming doctors, teachers, and drivers. Families laugh together without suspicion, and the women glow with renewed confidence. Farming has resumed in earnest, with pigeon peas, cassava, and corn thriving near homes.

Mbuyawo’s first clean water source didn’t just provide water—it restored time, health, and hope. As Agnes reflected, “Now we are free to live. Water has given us life back.”