Clean Water Transforms Chimago Village in Nkeyema district

Mornings for Kalilo, a mother of seven from Chimago village in Nkeyema district, used to be a desperate race against time. By 5 am, she would be on her feet on a two-hour journey, rushing to collect water from a dry river bed with her two daughters, Kanunga and Chisengu.  

The family used to collect water from a dry riverbed, where they dug hand-dug wells to access limited amounts of contaminated water.

This daily routine was not just an inconvenience but also a health risk. In 2017, a diarrhoea outbreak struck the village, and Kanunga fell seriously ill, requiring medical attention.   

The environmental health experts from the clinic assessed the village’s water source, and they confirmed their fears as their water source was contaminated and was the source of the outbreak.   After this realization, the health experts recommended that the community quickly mobilise and dig a communal hand-dug-well, which would be treated with chlorine as an immediate but temporal solution. However, this well dried soon dried up, proving to be an inadequate long-term solution. 

But life in Chimago Village turned for the better when World Vision intervened, providing the village with a borehole – a new, clean water source. Killilo and her daughters no longer need to walk long distances or risk their lives using contaminated water. Today,  over 300 villagers, including Kalilo and her family, can access safe, clean water when needed.

The impact of the clean water is undeniable.  Kalilo's daughters, Kanunga and Chisengu, no longer miss school or attend classes, exhausted from their early morning chores.

“We often used to miss classes because we would come back late and tired from the stream," laments Kanunga.

Now, they have more time to learn and play, and their lives are no longer at risk from water-related illnesses. The borehole has become a life-changing resource used for drinking, washing, cooking, and basic hygiene.

Recognizing the importance of their water resource, the community members have set aside funds from their savings group specifically for repairs, ensuring a continuous flow of clean water for generations. A water source in Chimango village has proven to be a simple solution that unlocks a world of health, education, and opportunity.