Gicumbi, Rwanda

Valerie is a 35-year-old widow living in the mountainous areas of Gicumbi in northern Rwanda. Valerie and her children used to walk long distances to gather water for their family use. They would often fall sick with waterborne diseases and the small income they earned through working on the land or at the marketplace would be used to pay for their health needs. Through the help of Blood:Water Mission, Valerie's community participated in constructing rain water tanks to provide a local and clean supply of water. Self-help groups joined together to assist in community mobilization and health education. In total, Valerie's family and 59,795 other community members now have access to clean water as well as hygiene education. Among them, some were trained on the maintenance of the installed water systems. Valerie commented on the changes in her life, "We no longer have to pay such health bills as we are now healthy. Ignorance on health issues used to encourage the spread of diseases, as people didn't know anything like boiling drinking water, washing hands after using the toilet, before breast feeding children and serving food and the like...The benefits that my family and our general community have so far got from it are great and I believe that with more safe water projects and awareness creation on best hygiene practices, the situation will keep improving for the better."

Cyanika, Rwanda

In Northern Rwanda, people walk long distances from their homes on mountainsides to the springs and lakes in the valleys to find water. This process often leaves families with very little water for their daily needs and yet consumes much of their time and energy. Community groups in the Cyanika Sector have come together to make significant changes in their communities, one of which has been the construction of rain water tanks that are shared by 10 families. The first tanks were constructed completely by community groups, and Blood:Water Mission is coming alongside these community groups to help them build additional tanks. 

Venantia is  part of these community groups, and this is how she talks about the water tank she shares with other families, "I am very happy now because of this water tank. Today I and my family have water to drink, to cook and to wash without going to the lake. I used to walk from 6 am to 4 pm and come back with 20 liters of water which was not enough for my family. But, now with this tank available here, we have access to 80 liters a day and I can find time to work for my family."