Our drinking water

We used to collect water for cooking and drinking from the swamp in the valley. Ruhija lies on top of a hill which means a 2km trek over steep terrain with up to 40 litres of water to carry. (We still have to do that in the dry season) The water was stored in a reservoir in the ground and looked brown and turbid.

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In 2015 we built a 5000 litre water tank with a rainwater collection system from the school roof. The brick structure houses the plastic tank and keeps the water cool. When not in use the tap is locked because water is very precious. As we construct more buildings we can collect more rainwater!

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In 2016 our Lifestraw filter project started with the sponsorship of the Rotary club of Brynmawr in Wales. The filters remove 99.9% of dirt and infectious agents from the water. We now have clean, safe water that we can use for drinking, cooking, washing food and personal hygiene!

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