The sky's the limit!

Every cloud has a silver lining in the skies above Rwanda. A huge rainwater harvesting tank at Juru Primary School, built with WaterAid's support, provides a constant safe water supply to over 1,000 students.

In the past, children and their families had to make a three-hour round trip to collect water from a river that is not only dirty, but also inhabited by hippos and crocodiles in the rainy season.

Now our students have clean water they have more time to study and we can have clean toilets and classrooms.
Josephine Twizeyimana, teacher

Thankfully, they no longer have to make that journey, which means they are able to spend all day at school.  Monique, one of the students (pictured above right), told us:

“We used to get dirty water from the lake. We would go to collect water before school and would bring water with us. There was never enough. Many times I would have to miss school.”

The children also attend a hygiene education club learning how to keep themselves and the school clean.

Eugenie Mukankundiye, the hygiene teacher, commented: “The water has been like a miracle for us – the children are very
clean now.”

This project has caught the attention of the Rwanda Government and we are working with them on plans to roll out similar technology to schools across the country.

Help bring safe water to more communities in need 

For many people, summer is a time to enjoy playing in safe, clean water in swimming pools or water parks. 

But around the world millions of children don’t even have clean water to drink.

Together with local organizations, WaterAid uses practical, sustainable solutions to provide safe water, effective sanitation and hygiene education to the poorest people in Africa, Asia and Central America.  

For just $25 per person - maybe the same price you would pay for some swimming goggles and a bathing suit - WaterAid can give one person safe water for life.