Students: 398
Villages Using the Well: 9

Kabvunguti Primary School has served its community since 1997. In 2020, the school received a water well so it could reopen, but the well dried up within a month. Students and staff returned to collecting water from a shallow well 800 meters from the school, where diarrhea was a frequent problem.

Water shortages were affecting students’ education. During breaks, students would walk to the shallow well to collect water and miss class. Some students, especially those coming from farther away, stayed home altogether because they could not access water. The school had 384 students before the new borehole was installed.

Just four months later, enrollment has grown to 398 students—an increase of 14, most of them girls. Attendance has also improved significantly. With water now accessible at school, students can stay in class instead of leaving to search for water.

The new borehole has also transformed sanitation at the school. Staff and students can clean classrooms and toilets, and the school is planning to build additional toilets and a changing room. “Now, we are drinking clean water. Now, our students have dreams,” said Headmaster Daniel Mnango.

For the surrounding community, the benefits extend beyond the school grounds. Agatha, a water committee member, shared that families once walked 10 kilometers to a clinic two or three times a month because of diarrhea. With improved access to water, families can focus on their homes and farms without worrying about where their next bucket will come from.

And the students are already looking ahead. Caroline dreams of becoming a doctor. Lydia wants to be a teacher. Gerita hopes to become a police officer, while Maxine and Livingston dream of becoming soldiers. Owen wants to be a builder, and Frackson and Trynnes also hope to become doctors and teachers.

With water now flowing at Kabvunguti Primary School, students are not only staying in school—they are beginning to imagine what comes next.