Easily Accessible Water points protecting children from drowning

The pitter patter drum in the bucket slowly fades as cool water cascades down.  Soothing pink noise at most, but the sound washes away the ever-constant worry that had plagued Albert. It was not an uncommon occurrence that (or you can say, “More often than not, children…”) children off to fetch water would be blinded by a flurry of excitement, go too deep in the waves of the Lake and drown. For a father of eight and a leader in the Mboneko Village, this concern was a valid one.

Less than five minutes away, Jeannette, a mother of four is in charge of one of the many water points that World Vision constructed in Gishyita sector. According to her, “We used to walk for an hour to the lake just to fetch a Jerry can of water which was not nearly enough to carry out daily household chores, cook and shower.”

Drowning wasn’t the only challenge for the residents in Gishyita sector. The water in Lake Kivu was highly contaminated leading to the transmission of diseases such as cholera, dysentery, typhoid and polio-in children-linked to poor sanitation. To counteract the immediate consequences of the contaminated water, Albert testified that “World Vision’s various trainings on health and sanitation has equipped us with the skills to improve hygiene, fight malnutrition and improve our holistic wellbeing.”

The training paired with the clean water from the easily accessible water points ensures that that children ingest clean and safe food. In addition, because the time wasted to fetch water is cut short from one hour to five minutes, children are able to have breakfast before going to school. This practice fights stunting, improves school attendance and performance in students.

World Vision in Rwanda made an ambitious commitment five years ago, to reach one million people including children, families and their communities with access to clean water. This goal has been achieved.

By: Jacqueline Natukunda - Communications Officer