Families: 50 families
Water Committee: 5 men and 5 women

For years, families in Kankwita 2 had to make difficult choices simply to get drinking water. They relied on unsafe riverbeds and rainwater collected from rooftops. During the dry season, they travelled about two kilometers to a neighbouring well, sometimes waiting in line for hours and enduring beatings to collect water. Even with so little available, families shared what they had with others who were thirsty.

The community had heard promises of a well before. Three years ago, residents even built a road believing that a water project would follow, but no one returned. So when the Water Wells for Africa drilling team finally arrived, many struggled to believe that this promise would become reality.

Installed on June 24, 2026, the well began serving families about a week before the community visit, after time was allowed for it to dry properly. For the first time, residents had their own source of clean water. The chief, who is over 70 and whose family has lived in the area for generations, was able to witness a milestone that had eluded his community for years.

The difference was already visible in daily routines. Previously, families could obtain only one bucket of clean water per week and often drank just one cup a day. Now, they collect around 10 buckets daily and can bathe two or three times a day. Women shared that their skin felt softer, while children were arriving at school clean and on time.

Access to water has also eased tensions at home and at the water source. Women no longer need to spend hours away from their families, and residents say the domestic violence associated with those long absences has eased. Fights over places in water lines have also ended, leaving families with more time together.

A committee of five women and five men has been elected to help care for the well, with maintenance guidance and training to support its long-term use. After years of disappointment, Kankwita 2 has a source of clean water close to home—and a new reason to believe that promises of change can be fulfilled.