This borehole has made fetching water more enjoyable-Daphine

November 12, 2020

Children at a borehole constructed by ChildFund in Telela community in Kwania district

Daphine, 11, and her family live in Telela Community near Lake Kwania.

It’s the source of livelihood for most families in the community with many household heads, especially men practicing fishing for a living alongside farming.

The lake was also the source of water for home consumption where Daphine, her siblings and other children in the community fetched water.

This was a chore that Daphine and her peers dreaded because going to the lake meant potentially coming face to face with hippos, crocodiles and snakes that they knew lived in the waters.

“I was always so scared of going to the lake in fear of crocodiles or hippos eating me or my siblings. Unfortunately, the nearest borehole to our home is in another community and would take us 4 hours of walking to get the water,” She said.

This made fetching water from the lake an easier option despite its water being brown and unsafe for drinking. According to Daphine’s mother, Grace “using lake water made the children prone to water-borne diseases like diarrhea and bilharzia.

“Early last year, the lake started flooding which made it more unsafe for children to access,” she added.

Daphine and Priscilla stand by the lake they used to fetch water from

Fortunately, Daphine and her friends don’t have to go to the lake anymore because ChildFund constructed a borehole a few meters away from their home.

“I like pumping water at the borehole, it makes me very happy,” she said. She added that the borehole in their backyard makes it easy to wash clothes, utensils and to get water to cook.

Daphine wants to be a nurse when she grows up.