In the heart of rural Zambia, where water scarcity has long been a daily struggle, a quiet revolution is unfolding. At Nabbanda and Kawila Primary Schools, as well as in youth livestock rearing centers, access to clean, safe water has transformed education, health, and livelihoods​​.
For years, pupils at Nabbanda and Kawila Primary Schools faced unimaginable challenges. Fetching water meant walking long distances, often in the scorching sun, taking valuable time away from learning. Without adequate clean water, hygiene suffered, diseases spread, and many children especially girls missed school.
But change arrived when solar-powered water systems were installed, providing a steady supply of safe drinking water. Now, students no longer have to leave school to fetch water. Handwashing stations have reduced the spread of diseases, and the schools’ feeding programs now run efficiently, ensuring that children have nutritious meals cooked with clean water.
For girls like Tandiwe, a 13-year-old student, this means more than just education. “Before, I would miss school because there was no water to wash or cook,” she says. “Now, I feel safe, clean, and ready to learn.”
Beyond the schools, water access has breathed life into youth livestock projects, empowering 360 young farmers. At the Goat Centre, where youth like Moses, a 19-year-old farmer, once struggled with water shortages, the provision of a reliable water source has changed everything.
“I am happy that we will not lose any animals because we now have water for them,” said Moses recalls. The WASH Committee at the Goat Centre ensures that 14 surrounding households also benefit from this water supply. Families can now drink and cook with safe, clean water, reducing cases of diarrhoea and waterborne diseases.
Water is more than a necessity—it is a source of dignity, education, health, and opportunity. Thanks to these solar-powered boreholes and water systems, children can stay in school, young farmers can grow their businesses, and entire communities can thrive.
With every drop of clean water, a new future is unfolding—one where no child misses’ school because of water shortages, and no farmer loses livestock due to drought.
Thank you to our supporting partners German Development Cooperation and Stiftung Kinderzukunft for making this transformation possible.
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