It Makes All the Difference:

Clean Water Changed Cleophas’ Story

“We were so dirty!”

As if huddled around a campfire, the group gathered together on benches in the warm Ugandan sun, and it didn’t take long before Cleophas enthusiastically spilled her story in front of the others.

“Because of living in an area with no water…at least every week, I had to take my child to the hospital due to diseases caused by drinking dirty water as well as not bathing. I would spend a lot of money because I always found when medicine was not available at the government hospital, I had to buy it from the clinic.”

“If you decided to use some water for bathing or washing, then the remaining would not be enough for cooking. So we always had to choose between what the little water we had could be used for which was always cooking, and we constantly ended up not bathing or taking time to wash our clothes.”

Water flowing from a tap stand is most certainly not the conclusion of a water project. 

It’s actually a beginning of sorts. 

For our team, extending relationships beyond clean water matters, and is why gathering a group like this months after the taps turn on is crucial – to measure results, listen to feedback, improve methods, and, most importantly, hear the stories of significant change that take place in the lives of families. It helps all of us see if the results achieved are being sustained.

At the end of 2022, our Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) team was warmly welcomed by this community in Kicuzi. Cleophas and her neighbours certainly weren’t lacking for stories of their own personal impact!

“…we are happy to see you back in our community and for sparing your time to come and listen to our stories.” 

The contrast between life before and after clean water almost takes your breath away.  

Since the taps turned on, Cleophas has experienced how extending clean water for people makes all the difference. She has gained back the hours each day she’d spend walking to the swamp, the money given up for medication and hospital bills. She’s seen her family have health and hope restored. And the deep sense of pride she has for the collective community is overflowing.

“The expense was too high, but now, this is no longer a problem: we are fine! Thank you for the training from ACTS to live beyond poor sanitation with good hygiene. You brought a good change in our community; drinking or using dirty water was reduced, and sanitation improved. I continue to thank ACTS Uganda!”

Thanks to your continued support of our Canadian Water Charity, Cleophas’ community reached the national standard for sanitation meaning they’ve put critical hygiene practices in place to improve health and eliminate disease. 

Now that’s a story with a long-lasting and far-reaching impact!!