When communities don’t have access to water, children have to spend hours every day fetching water. In many cases this causes them to miss school and miss out on an education that could enable them to have a better future.
This is not the case for the kids in Kisaro Sector in rural Rwanda.
Schoolchildren in maroon checkered uniforms are scattered across the schoolyard. They now have water, and water gives them education. The students are clean and practicing good hygiene, they have sanitary bathrooms, and there are handwashing and drinking water stations throughout the school.
Alphonse and Marie lead the school hygiene committee, and they said the new water and sanitation facilities greatly improved the cleanliness of the school and its students.
“On a daily basis we have an assembly where students gather together and learn about sanitation and hygiene,” shares Alphonse.
Marie oversees the girls’ room, which is where teenage girls can rest or get menstrual hygiene products when they’re on their periods.
“It has really helped girls come to school and feel comfortable when they’re on their periods,” says Marie.
The headmaster at Alphonse and Marie’s school says he saw a noticeable increase in attendance at his school when the new water and sanitation facilities were complete. One study found school attendance increased by 12% when water was available within close proximity to children’s homes.
Give water this holiday season, and water will give education to children around the world.
