Families: 120 across 5 villages
Water Committee: 4 men and 6 women
Chief: Margaret

For the people of Natchovani, getting water used to mean a two-kilometer walk to a borehole shared by more than 200 families. The journey was difficult enough during the day, but collecting water in the evening could be dangerous, with people worried about encountering thugs along the way. Even after making the trip, families might return with only two buckets.

The shortage reached into nearly every part of home life. Women would spend so much time away collecting water that tensions grew at home, sometimes leading to violence between husbands and wives. Personal hygiene was also difficult when every bucket had to be carefully rationed.

Today, water is close enough that families can think about more than simply getting through the day. They are growing tomatoes, onions, and peas, and using the water to make bricks. Families can collect around 200 liters a day, giving them enough to care for their homes while also investing in their livelihoods.

The change is particularly clear at school. Before the well, girls were dropping out, and both boys and girls struggled to arrive on time. “The major reason our kids did not go to school was lack of water access,” the community explained. Now, children are getting to school on time, and teachers are seeing their grades improve. For Natchovani, the well has given families something they had been missing for years: enough water to make choices about what comes next.