Families: 35 across 3 villages
Water Committee: 5 men and 5 women

Families in Kamangadazi have lived in the area since 1993, relying on the Linthipe River for water. During the rainy season, the river would flood and become a “death trap.” Families sometimes waited for the water to settle, but when they were thirsty, they had no choice but to drink it as it was. During the dry season, they would dig deep into the riverbed or walk 1.5 kilometers to another well, leaving as early as 3 a.m. and returning around 6 a.m. with about five buckets of water.

The unsafe water came with a serious health cost. Families bathed in the river and suffered from skin rashes. Diarrhea was common, and residents reported three deaths from cholera. They walked 11 kilometers to the clinic as often as three times a month; a morning visit could mean walking all day and not returning home until 6 p.m.

Today, families can collect around seven buckets of water a day. They can bathe two or three times a day without the skin rashes they once experienced, and they no longer have to share their drinking water with animals. “We are cleaner, and our houses are cleaner,” one resident shared.

The new water supply is also creating opportunities for families to provide for themselves. Residents are growing tomatoes, mustard, and pumpkin leaves, raising more livestock, making charcoal for income, and molding bricks for new homes. Together, they have already molded 10,000 bricks. One resident said the well is helping them feed their families—and even their food tastes better now.

The journey to this well was not easy. Another organization once promised to provide a well if the community molded bricks, but the well never came, and the organization took the bricks. When WWFA’s first drilling attempt was unsuccessful, residents felt their hope disappear. The night before drillers returned, the entire village held a night of prayer, asking God to provide water. They could not sleep because they were waiting and hoping for an answer.

The well has also changed life at home. Veronica shared that she no longer has to worry about water when she is out late, and she can help her grandparents collect it. Zelena said the well has made her happier because managing the home and maintaining hygiene are easier. Another resident expressed gratitude especially for the women, who can now get water and feed their families on time.

Children are benefiting, too. Before the well, about 30% of students were missing school because they were sick or because the school lacked water. Today, 100% of children are attending.

For Kamangadazi, the new well represents freedom from years of unsafe water, illness, long walks, and uncertainty. As one resident put it, “The coming of the well has made me happier.”