The Well That Changed Her World

SOURCE: U.S. Geological Survey

SOURCE: U.S. Geological Survey

Natalia is a serious girl who loves learning. But the burden of getting water for her family left little time for anything else, including her own education. Most weeks, she was lucky if she made it to school twice. She’d managed to learn to read and write, but she dreamed of doing far more—like running her own school someday. 

Natalia had plenty of oppor­tunity to think about this dream on her trips to get water. The chore took most of her day. First there was the walk. Then she had to wait in line for hours at the hand-dug watering hole in the riverbed outside her village.

When it was finally Natalia’s turn, she would fill up a plastic jerry can with 3 to 5 gallons of water. A full can weighs from 20 to 40 pounds—about the same as several backpacks stuffed with books. Imagine lugging those backpacks for one mile. Now imagine doing it twice a day, every single day of the week.

Natalia is a serious girl who loves learning. But the burden of getting water for her family left little time for her own education or anything else. She was lucky if she made it to school twice during most weeks. Natalia had managed to learn to read and write. But she dreamed of doing far more. She wanted to run her own school someday.

Natalia had plenty of time to think about this dream on her trips to get water. The chore took most of her day. First there was the walk. Then she had to wait in line for hours at the hand-dug watering hole in the riverbed outside her village.

Finally, her turn would come. Natalia would fill up a plastic jerry can with 3 to 5 gallons of water. A full can weighs from 20 to 40 pounds. That is about the same as several backpacks stuffed with books. Imagine carrying those backpacks for one mile. Now imagine doing it twice a day on every single day of the week.

SOURCE: United Nations Development Program

SOURCE: United Nations Development Program

Even after all of that effort, the water Natalia brought home wasn’t fit to drink. It was gray and dirty. Although her family boiled the water before they drank it, doing so didn’t always kill the dangerous bacteria it contained. The water often made them sick. They had no other choice but to use it though. The muddy watering holes were the only source of water for many miles around.

Water-related illnesses are a major problem in developing countries like Mozambique. According to the World Health Organization, more than 2,000 people die worldwide every single day from water-related diseases.

The water Natalia brought home was not fit to drink, even after all of that effort. It was gray and dirty. Her family boiled the water before they drank it. But doing so did not always kill the dangerous bacteria it contained. The water often made them sick. They had no other choice but to use it though. The muddy watering holes were the only source of water for many miles around.

Water-related sickness is a major problem in developing countries like Mozambique. According to the World Health Organization, more than 2,000 people die worldwide every single day from water-related diseases.

The problem of unsafe water in Natalia’s village had a solution: What the village desperately needed was a well. A deep well would tap into an aquifer—an underground layer of rocks that holds water like a sponge. Water from the aquifer would be purer and cleaner than the water from the streambed. It would not be contaminated by animal or human waste. That’s because particles in the soil can act as a natural water filter, trapping harmful bacteria and pollutants. 

A well would give the villagers safe water to drink. It would also liberate Natalia and other girls. Instead of hauling water, the girls of the village would finally be able to go to school.

But digging a well requires expensive machines and scientific knowledge—neither of which were available to Natalia’s village.

The problem of unsafe water in Natalia’s village had a solution. The village desperately needed a well. A deep well would tap into an aquifer. An aquifer is an underground layer of rocks that holds water like a sponge. Water from the aquifer would be purer and cleaner than the water from the streambed. It would not be soiled by animal or human waste. That is because particles in the soil can act as a natural water filter. They would trap harmful bacteria and pollutants.

A well would give the villagers safe water to drink. It would also liberate Natalia and other girls. The girls of the village would finally be able to go to school instead of carrying water.

But digging a well requires costly machines and scientific knowledge. Neither of these things was available to Natalia’s village.

For Natalia, clean water is a gift that is never taken for granted. It’s been more than four years since the trucks arrived in her village. Now villagers are rarely sick. They can bathe whenever they want. And they never go thirsty.

Life is quite different for Natalia these days. She goes to school. A top student, she plans to run her own school and improve the lives of other girls through education.

Clean water is a gift that Natalia never takes for granted. It has been more than four years since the trucks arrived in her village. Now villagers are rarely sick. They can bathe whenever they want. And they never go thirsty.

Life is quite different for Natalia these days. She goes to school and is a top student. She plans to run her own school and improve the lives of other girls through education.

SOURCE: World Health Organization

SOURCE: World Health Organization

Natalia has also taken on an important project: Her fellow villagers elected her to be president of the water committee. They said that her intelligence and confidence made her perfect for the job. 

In this role, Natalia oversees a team of five adults. The group is responsible for watching over the well. They keep it in good condition and protect it from animals. They collect money for future repairs and educate their neighbors about sanitation and hygiene. Natalia’s duties keep her busy, but it’s important work that she’s proud of. 

Natalia still walks briskly, but she no longer has to walk to the riverbed in the dark each morning. Today, her steps are leading her toward the future she always dreamed of.

Natalia has also taken on an important project. Her fellow villagers elected her to be president of the water committee. They said that her intelligence and confidence made her perfect for the job.

In this role, Natalia oversees a team of five adults. The group is responsible for watching over the well. They keep it in good condition and protect it from animals. They collect money for future repairs. They also educate their neighbors about sanitation and hygiene. Natalia’s duties keep her busy. She is proud of this important work.

Natalia still walks briskly. But she no longer has to walk to the riverbed in the dark each morning. Today, her steps are leading her toward the future she always dreamed of.