Students:

• Before the well: 400 total students
• After the well: 273 girls, 235 boys = 508 total students

When enrollment is complete, there could be more than 700 total students.

Since the borehole was installed at Chinama Junior School, the changes have been profound. Attendance has increased, and the school is on a path of transformation. Access to clean water has eliminated absenteeism, significantly reduced the dropout rate, and given students more time to focus on their studies. Before, children had to fetch water from the village during breaks, often returning late to class after waiting in long lines. Now, they can stay on campus, hydrated and ready to learn.

Sanitation improvements are underway, with plans for proper toilets already in motion. The community has molded 10,000 bricks, and there’s a vision to expand the school into a full primary, so students won’t have to travel long distances after completing standard 6. For now, teachers still share facilities with the head teacher’s house, but the presence of water has laid the groundwork for a brighter future.

With clean drinking water and the ability to wash their hands, the health and well-being of students and staff have drastically improved. Tensions with the community over water are a thing of the past, and the school is becoming a place of growth and opportunity. At Chinama Junior School, water isn’t just a necessity—it’s the foundation for progress.