Janet’s story: A life full of challenges
With five children to care for, Janet faces an impossible choice, no mother would ever want to make—she cannot afford to send all of her children to school.
Caring for her newborn meant she could no longer work as a tailor to support her family. The family now depends on small-scale gardening to feed themselves and earn a little income.
But financial difficulties and lack of education are only part of the struggle. Every day, Janet and her children face the burden of water insecurity.
Her ten-year-old daughter, Roselyn, like many other children in the village, has been forced to accept responsibilities that prevent her from having the childhood she dreams of.
The family relies on a hand-dug borehole located near a stream, about two hundred meters from their home. The water is used for drinking, cooking, and all household needs. This borehole isn’t just vital to Janet's family, but it also serves every household in the community.
“I get very tired every day from carrying water on my head and back,” Roselyn said. “It’s so heavy, and I have to walk a long way to get it home.”
During the rainy season, the stream floods, cutting off access to the borehole. If the borehole gets submerged, families have no choice but to wait several days until the water clears, often still unsafe for use.
“We see many children suffering from diarrhoea and red eyes,” Janet said. “I believe it’s because the water is not clean.”
Roselyn dreams of going to school, but that dream feels distant. The nearest school is two kilometers away, and with no financial support, her education remains out of reach. For now, carrying water containers has become her daily reality, instead of carrying a schoolbag.
Your generous support helps families like Janet’s increase their income through training and resources that help them start and grow small businesses. Your kindness helps ensure school fees are no longer out of reach and parents understand just how life-changing education can be for their children.
And most of all, you’re making it possible for children like Roselyn to have a chance to be a child again. To swap their heavy water containers for school bags and to sit in a classroom where they can learn, laugh, and dream.
Caring for her newborn meant she could no longer work as a tailor to support her family. The family now depends on small-scale gardening to feed themselves and earn a little income.
But financial difficulties and lack of education are only part of the struggle. Every day, Janet and her children face the burden of water insecurity.
Her ten-year-old daughter, Roselyn, like many other children in the village, has been forced to accept responsibilities that prevent her from having the childhood she dreams of.
The family relies on a hand-dug borehole located near a stream, about two hundred meters from their home. The water is used for drinking, cooking, and all household needs. This borehole isn’t just vital to Janet's family, but it also serves every household in the community.
“I get very tired every day from carrying water on my head and back,” Roselyn said. “It’s so heavy, and I have to walk a long way to get it home.”
During the rainy season, the stream floods, cutting off access to the borehole. If the borehole gets submerged, families have no choice but to wait several days until the water clears, often still unsafe for use.
“We see many children suffering from diarrhoea and red eyes,” Janet said. “I believe it’s because the water is not clean.”
Roselyn dreams of going to school, but that dream feels distant. The nearest school is two kilometers away, and with no financial support, her education remains out of reach. For now, carrying water containers has become her daily reality, instead of carrying a schoolbag.
Your generous support helps families like Janet’s increase their income through training and resources that help them start and grow small businesses. Your kindness helps ensure school fees are no longer out of reach and parents understand just how life-changing education can be for their children.
And most of all, you’re making it possible for children like Roselyn to have a chance to be a child again. To swap their heavy water containers for school bags and to sit in a classroom where they can learn, laugh, and dream.