Because of Water, We Can Learn

For Vernicah Wafula, a Grade 9 student at Kakuma Mixed Secondary School, access to clean water has changed what school looks like and what students believe is possible.

Before ADRA Canada installed a borehole and water system at the school, daily life was filled with challenges. Students often missed class while searching for water, science experiments could not be completed, and agriculture projects struggled to survive.

For girls, the lack of water created additional difficulties. Many felt ashamed during their menstrual periods because there was not enough water to bathe properly, leading some to stay home from school altogether.

Today, things are different.

With reliable water access, more than 2,000 students now benefit from improved learning conditions. Laboratory experiments can take place, agriculture classes are active, and students arrive to class on time. The school’s kitchen garden is also thriving, producing vegetables such as kale, cabbage, and pumpkins that help provide students with more nutritious meals.

“Now we can eat a balanced diet,” Vernicah shared. “We can get vitamins.”

Beyond the water project, Vernicah also participates in the school’s Life Skills program, where she is learning decision-making, critical thinking, and conflict resolution. She now shares these lessons with classmates and even applies them at home.

“There is no project that has ever brought water like this,” Vernicah said gratefully. “We enjoy the water. We enjoy the vegetables; we enjoy the trees we have planted.”

Thanks to the support of ADRA Canada donors like you, students like Vernicah now have more than access to water. They have greater dignity, improved health, and stronger opportunities to learn and thrive.