Waters of Hope and Promise: Communities towards a future of self-sufficiency!

Across the globe, women and girls spend about 200 million hours, daily, collecting water and among them is 59-year-old, Jeneta Sneele.

Hailing from a village in Zambia that did not have hold a clean water source, Jeneta and other women in her village would often travel to a river to fetch water – albeit dirty and possibly contaminated – to meet their needs. While it may sound simple enough, fetching water is often a difficult and dangerous task, especially for women, who are further vulnerable to threats like harassment and sexual assault.

In addition to these external threats, these women would often have to travel across harsh terrains to access these water sources – a task made riskier for Jeneta who had to swaddle her baby granddaughter on her back while balancing a bucket filled with 40 pounds of water on her head.

Fortunately, the days of treacherous trekking, relying on dirty water and fearing for their safety are now of the past!

Today, Jeneta and other women in the village now only need to turn on the standpipes located throughout their village to access clean water immediately, a drastic change from their usual method of fetching water.

By providing access points throughout the community, these women now take lesser time to collect water, reduce the chances of water contamination and have the opportunities and time to focus on their journey out of poverty.  

The installation of the water pump has also brought the community to work together to maintain and ensure its longevity. Additionally, with easier access to clean water families are better equipped to change their lives and develop their livelihood, now with the ability to nurture thriving gardens and crops – further elevating their opportunities to escape poverty.

For Jeneta and her community, the gift of water is also a gift of new hope for a future of possibilities instead of continued poverty.

When community sponsors, like you, pledge your support through the Village2Village program, you’re helping the vulnerable like Jeneta and others living in the most-needy communities experience a life they once dreamed of; where life’s essentials are within reach and the future holds promise.  

Pledge your support to communities that are most in need and support their growth and journey towards self-sufficiency!