Families: 95 households across 4 villages
Water Committee: 6 women and 4 men

For families in Kaponya, collecting water once meant approaching a deep, dangerous pond beside a stream. The water exposed residents to illnesses including cholera and dysentery, while the journey itself created risks for children and added strain to daily life. Children often arrived late to school and were sent home.

When someone became ill, getting treatment could bring another financial burden. Families paid around 40,000 kwacha for round-trip transport by bicycle or motorcycle, on top of the cost of treatment at a private clinic. Meanwhile, the long hours women spent fetching water sometimes contributed to tension in their marriages.

The new 35-meter well has brought a safe water source closer to home for the first time in the community’s history. Women can spend less time making difficult trips and more time tending their gardens and caring for their households. Families are also planning to grow greens and vegetables near their homes.

One of the changes is the opportunity for community members to take on new responsibilities. Sarah Gambinda has been elected to the water committee, marking her first leadership role. She shared how blessed and joyful she feels to have been entrusted with this responsibility.

The committee includes six women and four men, who will help oversee and maintain the well for the four villages it serves. As families adjust to having water nearby, they hope it will become easier to keep children in school, grow food, and avoid the illnesses and expenses that once accompanied their search for water.