Upendo’s Story: How Clean Water Transformed a Village

“When water came out, people were coming from different places, running to see what miracle had started. It was a great joy!” says Boaz, a local Compassion staff member in Tanzania. Find out how the provision of clean water transformed a family and community in the rural village of Karambandea, Tanzania.

05 Dec, 2024

That day was no different to most other days for Edward. He took his livestock out to graze, just as he had done every day that week. It was important to him that the cattle fed well so that he could sell healthy animals and earn an income for his family.

However, on that particular day he decided to wander further than usual. He stood watching the animals graze peacefully in the field. That’s when he heard it. A rustle in the bushes. Camouflaged by the dense foliage, the wild buffalo knocked Edward to the ground before he could even turn around.

“It came as a surprise,” says Edward. “It charged and hit me and I fell down. When I touched my ribs, I could feel there was a hole. When I looked, I could see my ribs coming out.”

Edward tried to get up and walk, but he couldn’t get far. Lying on the ground, staring up at the sky, he wondered if this was his last day on earth. Alone in the wilderness, Edward prayed to the God who had always helped him.

The challenge of everyday life

Edward’s prayers were answered that day and he was able to get medical attention for his injuries. However, the road to recovery was long with multiple complications along the way. For families like Edward’s who live in poverty, income fragility means that any change in their circumstance like natural disasters or injuries can have a substantial impact on their ability to generate an income.

Upendo is Edward and Jennifer’s 8-year-old daughter. She and her mother depend on her father’s income since he is the sole breadwinner in their family. For Edward, Jennifer and Upendo, life in Karambandea was already difficult. Though they are surrounded by the beauty of nature, the rough climate and proximity to the wilderness makes life unpredictable. They struggle to earn enough money to provide for even their basic needs and this setback simply added to the strain. However, in this Maasai community, the biggest challenge is their lack of access to clean water.

The ripple effects of water scarcity

“Karambandea is a dry place,” says Boaz, a local staff member with Compassion Tanzania. “In Karambandea, they face the challenge of water.”

With no clean water sources close by, Jennifer usually takes Upendo with her as they walk for hours looking for water. There is no one else to take care of Upendo so the young girl accompanies her mother on long journeys on foot to fetch and carry water for their family.

“I would go the distance carrying my child while the sun is very hot,” says Jennifer. “Sometimes when it rains, we fetch the rainwater from the watering holes and we use it to drink, cook and wash our clothes.”

The scarcity of water and the harsh, arid climate force women and children to leave their village and travel up to 28 kilometres in search of water. The journey is not only exhausting but also dangerous. They risk encounters with wild animals like hyenas, elephants and lions along the way and also face the threat of physical and sexual abuse from men in neighbouring tribes and villages. Additionally, children are unable to attend school or are too tired from the long journey to concentrate in class. This has a negative effect on their education and ability to break free from the cycle of poverty.

“I help my mother to fetch water”, says Upendo. “It is tough.”

The Maasai community relies on pastoralism, depending on the buying and selling of livestock to make a living. However, the lack of rain often leaves their animals underfed, resulting in thin and frail livestock. This significantly impacts their ability to sell the animals and earn an income.

But the devastating effects don’t stop there.

“There are outbreaks of diseases like cholera, typhoid, and other issues caused by unsafe water,” says Samuel, the coordinator of Compassion’s local child development centre. “There is a risk of death because they lack the necessary money to go to hospital.”

Access to clean water is a fundamental human necessity because it is essential for survival, health and dignity. It should be available to every human being, no matter where they live or what they own. Without it, communities like Karambandea face severe health risks, economic challenges and social inequalities. Ensuring that every person has access to clean water is not only a matter of health but also a basic human right.

According to the World Bank, only 61 per cent of households in Tanzania have access to basic water supply, 32 per cent have access to basic sanitation, and 48 per cent have access to basic hygiene. This lack of essential services has led to significant health crises, with women, children, and those living in poverty bearing the brunt of the effects. Each year, an estimated 31,000 deaths in Tanzania are attributed to inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene services, accounting for over 10 per cent of preventable deaths in the country.

Upendo’s village is no exception.

The impact of one borehole and water tank

Upendo was registered at Compassion’s local child development centre in Karambandea when she was 3 years old. Jennifer recalls the profound impact the local church had on their family, particularly in Upendo’s life.

“Compassion brought hope to our children,” says Jennifer.

Through Compassion’s Child Sponsorship Program, Upendo receives holistic care. She is able to go to school, have access to medical treatment, nutritious food and the support of a sponsor she loves. Samuel says the relationship between Upendo and her sponsor is special. Upendo is overjoyed when she receives a letter from her sponsor and is always keen to respond immediately. This holistic care and support is also extended to the other 200 children and their families registered in the Compassion program.

However, the impact of the local church does not stop there. Compassion’s locally led solutions focus on the most urgent and pressing needs in the area. For the rural village of Karambandea, hope came in the form of a borehole and water tank that would provide clean water for their community.

Through a Water and Sanitation intervention implemented by the local church, the village was provided with clean and safe water right on their doorstep. With the drilling of one borehole providing clean water to Upendo’s village, the impact has been transformational.

No longer do mothers and daughters have to travel 28 kilometres just to find water. No longer are they vulnerable to physical and sexual abuse on this journey.

“It was a challenge for girls. But now we don't have that issue because of the presence of water,” says Pastor David, the local church pastor.

Access to safe water has meant a drop in early pregnancy rates and a reduction in waterborne disease and illness. Children can attend school and families can go to church together because they don’t have to spend half a day fetching water. The provision of a clean and sustainable water source for Karambandea has impacted the health, hygiene, education and the safety of this Maasai community.

“We are truly happy,” says Jennifer. “We thank God because now we have clean water we can use to drink, cook and wash.”

Access to safe water is one of the most urgent needs in our global neighbourhood today, and through Compassion’s Water and Sanitation Critical Needs fund, families and communities like Upendo’s are receiving the love of Jesus through practical resolutions. The provision of sustainable water solutions, sanitation and hygiene interventions profoundly impacts Compassion-assisted children and their families. Safe water solutions reduce disease and death, promote healthier lives, and improve economic and educational outcomes. Often, the impact is not just contained to children and families within Compassion’s program—just like in Karambandea, the transformational impact extends to the entire community.

Water is more than just a physical resource for Upendo and her community. It’s an answer to prayer that has transformed the lives of everyone in their village.

“Water symbolises life,” says Boaz. “Water is now flowing like a river of joy in the community.”

Get involved

You can learn more about Upendo’s family and the intervention of the local church in Karambandea by watching her story.

Could you bring hope and help to a community like Upendo's? Discover how you can play a part in empowering Compassion’s local church partners to be the hands and feet of Jesus in their local communities.

Through Compassion's Critical Needs funds, you can donate to Water and Sanitation interventions providing practical solutions like wells and water tanks, toilets and showers, handwashing stations and water filters to communities in need of clean and safe water.

You can help water flow like a river of joy in communities around the world!

Written by Sidhara Udalagama, Compassion Australia.