Cool Water on a Hot Day
Emmanuel Ndatimana is a proud dad to two growing and active kids. Since they live close to Lake Kidogo in Rukumberi, Rwanda; Emmanuel’s children have grown up in the water. It’s not uncommon to find them splashing and swimming in the lake with their friends after school. After all, nothing feels better than some cool water on a hot day!
So when Emmanuel’s children were thirsty, they would simply scoop up water from the lake and drink it. After all, it felt so good on their skin, how could it not be good for them to drink?
But Emmanuel’s children kept getting sick. So they weren’t able to enjoy swimming with their friends as much as they wanted to. They were forced to stay home and wait out their latest bout of illness before returning to the lake and meeting up with their friends for more swimming, and usually a long drink of water while they were there.
But this was exactly the problem. Emmanuel and his children didn’t realize that the water they were drinking was the cause of all of their sickness, creating a never-ending cycle.
Then, thanks to the partnership between 20 Liters and World Relief Rwanda, Emmanuel’s entire family received lessons on hygiene and sanitation. After training, their family received a SAM3 water filter.
Now, even Emmanuel’s 9-year-old knows that the only water that is safe for them to drink is from the filter. And while they still invite friends to go swimming in the lake, they tell everyone not to drink the water. Instead, they invite their friends who don’t have access to filtered water to come to their house and get clean water for the day from their filter.
“I consider this filter as a special gift that was handed to me and my family,” shared Emmanuel. “And the best thing about it, not only did it save our lives from falling sick, it saved even that of our neighbors. For this I am thankful to the church and volunteers who selected me to receive this gift.”
