“I’m afraid of this water because I know that worms are going into my body,” says 9-year-old Ireen.
Every day, she carried her red bucket on a 6 km journey for water - down rocky paths, through thorny bushes, and back home with 9 litres balanced on her small head. The bucket was her lifeline, but also a burden that stole hours from school and play. Like her mother and grandmother before her, Ireen’s life was shaped by the daily search for water.
Hope arrived when World Vision’s drilling team came to her community. After several attempts, clean water finally burst from the ground. Today, her red bucket is no longer a symbol of hardship, but of joy. Now, Ireen fetches safe water just steps from home and attends school every day.
“I feel happy, like I can finally dream again,” she say.
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For 10-year-old Maybelle, every morning used to begin with a long, steep walk to the river - carrying heavy water containers with her mother. The journey was nearly a kilometre each way, and on some days, it made her late for school.
Her family, like many others in the community, had no direct access to water. They collected rainwater or relied on neighbours with electric pumps. During the dry season, even growing vegetables to earn an income became difficult.
“There were days when I would just use a damp towel to freshen up, trying to conserve water,” Maybelle says.
World Vision worked with the community to install a water system designed for their terrain and needs. Today, water is just steps from Maybelle’s home. She attends school on time, and her family has more time - and more hope - for the future.
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“We don’t just drill. We bring hope,” says Golden, a team leader on World Vision’s borehole drilling crew.
Far from the spotlight, these men work long hours in tough conditions - reading the earth, repairing heavy machines, and enduring setbacks - all to help communities gain something essential: clean water. It’s not just a job. It’s a calling.
In one village, the rig broke mid-drill. Hopes fell silent. But the team returned the next day, tools repaired and spirits unbroken. When water finally burst from the ground, singing and dancing filled the air.
Each borehole brings lasting change - fewer children falling sick, more time for school, and families finally free to hope and plan for the future.
This is labour that restores dignity. A quiet force behind every drop of clean water.
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For 8-year-old Mervis, water is not a source of life - it’s something she has to survive. One day, while collecting water with her sister, she slipped and fell into a deep water pit. It took three hours before help arrived. She injured her leg and has been afraid to fetch water alone ever since.
But her family needs 12 buckets a day. Each trip is long, painful, and dangerous - especially for Mervis and her sister, Donata. They carry 20-litre buckets over steep paths, risking snake bites, injuries, and exhaustion. The water is dirty, often making them sick, and they miss school as a result.
Their mother, Magdalena, dreams of clean water close to home - so her children can be safe, healthy, and study without fear or shame.
Because when water hurts, it takes away more than we see. But when clean water flows, it brings back dignity, joy, and the chance to thrive.
Read Mervis’s Full Story Here