Hope on Tap
A Teacher's Journey to Safe Water in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
“Often, I had children coming into my office holding their stomachs with tears in their eyes saying they were hurting.”
—Principle Yalala Bishaira, Ephphatha Center, DRC.
In the heart of Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), sits Ephphatha Center for Deaf. A school and a safe haven for children, where they gain the opportunity to learn in a loving environment. Yet, for Principal Yalala Bishaira, there remained a critical need for her school that was facing students and teachers alike—access to safe water.
Those most affected by lack of safe water are women and children. The long distances they must travel to locate water and the many hours it can take to carry it home can expose them to harsh conditions or abuse.
Students across the DRC, especially girls, miss school because of waterborne diseases. Teachers watch their students drink contaminated water, knowing it will likely make them absent from the classroom soon after. Mothers must care for their sick children at home, knowing it is their child's dream to attend school.
The risks of waterborne illness and the complex challenges facing communities in the DRC can make it impossible to know what to do or where to turn. Principal Bishaira shared,
"The children came to my office to ask for water...I don't have enough means to respond, I didn't know how to act."
The heartbreaking reality is that Principal Bishaira is not alone. Globally, 1 in 3 schools lacks access to basic water and sanitation.
Taking Action
Here at Project41, we are passionate about providing clean water to those in hard-to-reach places, and we know we cannot do this work alone! At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Project41 met two incredible partners: Act for Congo and AGIR-DRC. Together, we carry a shared mission—ordinary people seeking to make a difference in our world.
With AGIR's team based within the DRC, we followed their lead to launch a thoughtful and well-researched program to determine the best locations, needs, and suitability for our SafeTap filters. Together, we set out to install 13 filters at ten schools, two orphanages, and one community medical center for Congolese children facing some of the most urgent needs.
Our Approach
This program is more than providing filtration systems. AGIR developed a plan to work alongside school groups to educate students and staff on the basics of hygiene and hand-washing. The SafeTap filters were also paired with training on how to prevent disease, build confidence, and increase participation for the health and safety of the students and their larger community! Beyond this, trained water management committees were also identified within each school's student leadership team to help the school care for and maintain their new filtration systems.
After receiving a SafeTap filter and WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) training, Principle Bishaira and her staff no longer battle unanswered questions about how to give their students a cup of clean water.
“I’m happy to see the children with the activist in his awareness about hygiene...it’s a special attention and means a lot to the children; it makes them happy and me, it really touches me.”— Principle Yalala Bishaira, Ephphatha Primary School.
Principle Bishaira and Ephphatha Center represent just one school from our ten school locations that now have access to safe water. The installation of our SafeTaps at 10 schools, 2 orphanages, and 1 community medical center has made a life-saving impact for over 6,000 people!
"Now with the filter there is drinking water easily available and there are drinking glasses as well. When the container's empty I can easily fill it up. It's a joy for me to be able to! Every day we work to protect our filter because it helps us a lot."— First Grade Teacher, Ephphatha Primary School.
Here is a Snapshot of the Results:
500 deaf children, teachers, and staff gained access to clean water at school every day
322 orphans are no longer drinking from contaminated water sources
550 children who have escaped violence & war no longer have the challenge of collecting water
1,600 displaced people have the water resources they need as they seek refuge at the nearby school
6,000 people at our 13 combined locations now have daily access to clean water!
The results from this program have left us inspired and eager to grow our partnership with AGIR-DRC & Act for Congo. Thank you to each and every one of our supporters who made this possible.
We invite you to take advantage of this opportunity to impact more schools just like these across the DRC! Join Project41 as we work to get our SafeTap filters into the hands of vulnerable women, children, and communities as soon as possible!