The difference of clean water

Kamama and Cheru are both five years old and live 16 miles apart in rural East Africa. There is one main difference leading their lives down different paths. Kamama has access to clean water, and Cheru doesn’t.

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Cheru’s walk for dirty water

  • AGE: Five
  • LOCATION: Kenya
  • DISTANCE TO WATER: 6.88 kilometre return trip
  • TIME PER TRIP: 3 hours, 32 minutes

Cheru’s water source is a distant riverbed. She digs in the sand for water to fill her tin kettle, competing for space with goats, cows and camels.

Kamama’s walk to clean water

  • AGE: Five
  • LOCATION: Kenya
  • DISTANCE TO WATER: 0.23 kilometre return trip
  • TIME PER TRIP: 6 minutes, 49 seconds

Kamama’s water source is a nearby tap. In 2015, World Vision worked with her community to pipe clean water from a mountain spring, reaching 880 households as well as schools and a health centre.


Health

Dirty water often makes Cheru sick, she gets stomach pains, headaches and nosebleeds, while clean water keeps Kamama and her community healthy. 

Sanitation

Cheru’s family doesn’t have enough water for their daily sanitation and hygiene needs, whereas Kamama’s community has water for toilets, baths and handwashing.

Nutrition

Cheru eats just one meal a day with no water for her family to grow vegetables, while Kamama eats nutritious food at home and at school.

Education

In the dry season, digging for water can take so long that Cheru doesn’t make it to school at all. Every day, Kamama goes to class full of energy.

Health

Sanitation

Nutrition

Education

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