When water arrived at Binaga School in the remote countryside of Rwanda, it gave students the future. It provided the foundation for them to dream.
The school sits in a peaceful valley, surrounded by lush green hills. Students in their crisp yellow uniforms laugh as they meander through freshly painted corridors on their way to class. This time of year, students are concentrating hard in their classrooms, taking their exams. During breaks, they cultivate the school vegetable garden or find the closest water station to get a cool drink.
Before water came to the village, this scene looked very different. The school and surrounding communities didn’t have safe drinking water or proper bathrooms. Many of the school’s 1,000 students missed class regularly to fetch water several miles from their homes, or because they were sick from drinking dirty water. Without decent sanitation facilities, menstrual hygiene resources for girls, or handwashing stations, students couldn’t practice proper hygiene. Many girls stayed home from school when they had their periods.
Water is changing all of this. Water gives health, time, and education. It gives students hope and joy. It gives them a chance to reach their full potential.
Now, children like Josephine, who plans to be a journalist, and Eugene, who wants to be a mechanic, can dream for the future. Water is the foundation for tomorrow’s teachers, tailors, and pilots. You can see the joy on students’ faces when they realize they can accomplish their goals.
Read more about this school here.
