If you’ve seen our Give Water Give Life campaign recently, you’ll already know that giving clean water provides so much more than you think to people in need – like an education, female empowerment, safety, a chance to work, hygiene, health, happiness, hope and (most of all) a life.

This couldn’t have been more true today as we visited Nyarurama Primary School in Nyabikenke Village; one of the many schools in the Kicukiro district of Rwanda that we’ll provide clean water and improved sanitation to by the end of next year as part of our “Everyone Forever” programme.

I met a lot of amazing students, teachers and staff members today, although three of them really stuck in my mind as we drove back this afternoon and as I sit here writing up my notes from the day. So I’ll introduce you to them and try to tell their inspiring stories:

Meet Jeannette

Jeannette is a student at Nyarurama Primary School. She was just 11 when our water and sanitation programme started at her school in May 2014. The school has since had a sustainable supply of clean, safe water, as it has been connected to the local water system, meaning students like Jeanette can collect and drink water from one of the many water-storage tanks in between lessons.

By having clean water, it means that young girls like Jeannette can go to school every day instead of walking miles to collect it. This means that girls like Jeannette can gain an education, get a job and ultimately pull themselves (and their future children) out of a cycle of poverty.

jeannette

When you give water, you also give children like Jeannette an education, female empowerment, a future and (most of all) a life.

Meet Placide

Placide is a member of staff at Nyarurama Primary School. His job title is “Hygiene et Maitrise en Sanitation”, meaning he is in charge of all hygiene and sanitation programmes at the school. Since May 2014, we’ve provided eight new safe and hygienic toilets, as well as a clean, safe and private sanitation room for the female students.

placide

As part of his job, Placide runs hygiene and sanitation education classes, as well as empowering students to join a hygiene and sanitation club. He explained that the kids then go on to teach their families at home about what they’ve learnt, meaning that the wider community has benefitted from improved health, hygiene and sanitation since the start of the programme.

sanitation-club

When you give water, you also give children like the ones in Placide’s classes health, hygiene, dignity and (most of all) a life.

Meet Samson

Samson is the Head Teacher at Nyarurama Primary School. He beamed as he told us about the progress at the school and proudly showed us around the grounds. He now has 1,114 students who have access to clean water. 1,114 students who benefit from improved sanitation. 1,114 lives, changed forever.

samson

When you give clean water, you also give children like Samson’s students an education, female empowerment, safety, a chance to work, hygiene, health, happiness, hope and (most of all) a life.

A HUGE thank you to anyone who has ever picked up a One Drink, helping to give the gift of clean water to thousands of students like the ones at Nyarurama Primary School in Nyabikenke Village. You can help Give Water Give Life and change more lives by supporting One Drinks, donating or fundraising.