The Value of Clean Water
For some families, the value of clean water is hard to define. For other families, the price of clean water is more straightforward.
Francine and Issac are the parents of two small children, a daughter and son. They live in a rural community in Rwanda, where clean water is scarce. Because they knew that their water source was not safe for their children, Francine and Issac tried to budget to be able to spend 50 cents each day to buy firewood to boil their water before using it.
Sometimes, it would be hard to find those funds and they would drink water directly from the lake. Because of this, their children were vulnerable to water borne diseases. They frequently went to the hospital to try and treat these illnesses.
But then, their family was selected by local volunteers to receive a SAM3 household filter. Now, they no longer need to buy firewood. And the 50 cents that they used to budget for firewood can now be saved.
Francine is responsible for saving for her family. She joined a “savings group” through her church in 2013. At first, she would save 20 cents each day for her family’s future. But after receiving a filter, she was able to put aside nearly 70 cents each day.
When we asked about how she used her savings, Francine shared, “Through savings, I would contribute at and eventually, we were able to build a house that we now rent out to a small business owner. The money from the house helps us in different activities at home.”
Not only has their filter lead to savings that have improved the financial stability of her family, it also is helping their community. Francine invites the residents of three homes near her to use the filter as well. When they want water to drink, they bring water to get filtered and takes back home with them clean.
Seeing the value of clean water for her own family, Francine’s wish is for everyone to get access to clean water.
