A Seed Planted in Dark Soil…Just Needs a Little Water
Rachel Mukategera, a 51-year-old Rwandan widow, resides in the country’s northern Burera district. Blessed with a nurturing heart, Rachel has raised five children, and currently cares full-time for her two grandchildren.
Life hasn’t been easy for Rachel. After losing her husband several years ago, she found herself in a vulnerable position, resorting to nearby Lake Burera as her primary source of water. Due to financial and time constraints, she struggled to afford filtered tap water or boil it herself, so she had to rely on contaminated lake water for her family’s cooking, cleaning, and drinking. On some occasions, she would ask neighbors for boiled water, an act that brought her shame and embarrassment.
The unfiltered water from Lake Burera proved harmful to Rachel’s two grandchildren, causing them to suffer from worms and flu. As Rachel herself began suffering infections, she would often drink non-alcoholic sorghum beer to avoid consuming the harmful water.
Change Starts to Emerge
The introduction of 20 Liters’ SAM III water filters in Rachel’s community changed all of this. Staff from 20 Liters partner World Relief installed one of the SAM III filters in Rachel’s home, and now she no longer faces the daily indignity of fetching dirty lake water for her grandchildren or asking neighbors for boiled water. The days of drinking non-alcoholic sorghum beer have also passed, and Rachel’s family now savors safe, filtered water from their own tap. Indeed, the infections and health issues they once faced are similarly distant memories.
The Seeds Grow
The impact of the filter has not been limited to Rachel’s home. Three neighboring households were plagued by the same waterborne diseases and frustrations. Now they all enjoy better health and stronger communal bonds thanks to the safe water provided by Rachel’s family.
Rachel expresses her gratitude for 20 Liters, which has initiated was she describes as a truly life-changing project.
“Poverty and death” once threatened to overwhelm, but clean water has helped Rachel and her neighbors sow the seeds of a healthier, happier future.
See our YouTube page for more stories of health and hope (and a bit of fun). Read more about the ripple of impact from Claudine’s story.
