Health & Nutrition

For 11-year-old Janet and her family, for many years, access to clean water was once a distant hope. Living in a rural village in Mumbwa District where the only water source was a nearby borehole, Janet frequently fell ill with severe stomach pains and diarrhea. “A few years ago, my mother and I were always at the clinic,” she recalls. “Sometimes I would miss school for days. It was a very hard time for us.”

Janet’s story is not uncommon. In many parts of Mumbwa, Nyimba and Shibuyunji Districts, families rely on unprotected water sources that are easily contaminated. But change came when her family became part of a water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) initiative supported by Procter & Gamble (P&G) in partnership with ChildFund .

Janet’s mother, Josephine, vividly remembers the moment things began to change. “We were invited to a training at the local clinic, where ChildFund was teaching about safe water practices. That’s when I realized that the water we were drinking, straight from the borehole, was harming my daughter.”
During the training, Josephine learned how to treat water through boiling and filtration, and the importance of keeping water containers clean and covered. The sessions also emphasized basic hygiene practices like hand washing and environmental cleanliness.

But the impact didn’t stop at clean water. Through the project, Josephine and other community members learned about constructing ventilated improved pit latrines and keeping them hygienic. “In the past, people would relieve themselves in the bush,” she said. “Now, we understand that this contaminates our water. Most households have since dug their own latrines, built at least 30 meters from the home, and we now know how to keep them clean and covered.”

The knowledge has translated into daily habits. Josephine uses ashes from the cooking fire each morning to clean the latrine, keeping flies and odors at bay. “The smell is gone, and even small children can use the toilet safely,” she adds.
Waste management has also improved. “Before, our yard was full of litter,” Josephine said. “After the training, we dug a rubbish pit, and now all our waste goes there. No more flies buzzing around our home.”

For Janet, the transformation has been life-changing. With clean water and better hygiene at home, her health has improved, and she no longer misses school. “I’ve learned to always wash my hands after using the toilet and before eating,” she says proudly. “I even help remind my siblings to do the same. We also cover the toilet to keep flies away.”

Janet and her peers have also been taught that hand washing is the first line of defense, not just against diarrhea and other waterborne diseases like cholera, but also against viruses like COVID-19.

Foster, a dedicated ChildFund community health volunteer, has trained over 50 households in Janet’s community. “We’ve reached more than 200 people with lessons on protecting water sources, building safe latrines, and installing hand washing stations,” he explains. Foster also conducts monthly follow-ups to monitor household practices.

Thanks to the partnership between P&G and ChildFund , families like Janet’s now have the knowledge and tools to lead healthier lives. What began as a simple training at a clinic has grown into a community-wide movement, improving health, restoring dignity, and unlocking children’s potential through clean water and sanitation.

“We are grateful,” says Josephine. “Our lives have changed because we now understand how to protect our water, our homes, and our children’s health.”