Water in Kalumba

Water is life, they say. Indeed clean water that is safe and free from disease causing organisms improves the health of women and children in the community by reducing incidences of diarrhoeal diseases and skin infections.
Miriam (27) in the picture expresses her joy and how the availability of safe water from a protected shallow well has changed her life. By reducing the distance and time taken to fetch water, women are able to do more household chores and are able to participate in other development activities including time to prepare nutritious food and feed their children

With the assistance from ADRA and funding from Canada, the community protected shallow wells. Fifteen water wells have been dug and provide safer and cleaner water. The aim was to reduce waterborne diseases such as Cholera and other gastro infections and to reduce the burden of women as a result of fetching water from sources that are very far. Water wells provision has also reduced the time that women spend when they go to fetch water from other water sources by almost half. This scenario has enabled women to fully participate and make decisions in other development activities for both the community and at family level.

Author: Dorcas Kanthenga