Families: 45
Water Committee: 4 men and 6 women

Katambo is on ancestral land where families have lived since 1985. Before the well, this community had never had clean water. They relied on shallow, hand-dug wells in the Nambalame Stream, sharing the water with wildlife from the nearby Thilima Forest Reserve—including buffalo, elephants, warthogs, baboons, impala, and sable.

Getting water was an all-day burden. Women woke at 3 a.m. and returned around 9 a.m., often collecting just one bucket each. The journey was dangerous, but they had no other choice. During the rainy season, the community also faced serious illness. Many people suffered from cholera in 2023, and diarrhea was a constant problem from drinking water shared with animals.

The nearest health care was Chagunde Health Center, about MK 4,000 round trip. Families went about twice a month, but the health center rarely had medicine, so they often had to purchase supplies themselves.

Today, the community can finally sleep in and collect as much water as they need. Families are bathing regularly—three times a day for women and twice for men—and keeping their homes and belongings clean. “Palibe diarrhea!” they said. There is no more diarrhea.

The well is also giving families time to work and plan. They can do piece work, maintain home gardens, and mold their own bricks. They are even able to seal their floors with mud to keep insects out—small improvements that make their homes healthier and more comfortable.

And children are getting to school more consistently. Attendance has risen from 30% to 80%, as kids no longer have to spend their mornings waiting for water. After generations without a reliable source of clean water, Katambo finally has what the community described as plenty—and hope for the future.