Resham lives in Kalapaani village, in Central India. Twice a day Resham and her three teenage daughters would walk four kilometres to fetch water, each of them carrying 20 litres in a container on her head, morning and evening.
Resham knew the water wasn’t safe. She’d do her best to filter it through a piece of cloth but still, her children were sick for around 10 days every month, unable to attend school.
With our India partners to test the water with the villagers so they could see for themselves that it was contaminated with harmful bacteria, viruses and dangerous levels of natural fluoride, causing fluorosis. A quarter of Kalapaani families were diagnosed with this painful disease that bends bones and stunts growth. There is no cure.
We use hydrogeology to determine the depth of fluoride-bearing rock to know at what level the water becomes safe. We identified which of the nearby wells were clean and connected them to three tanks in the village, providing safe, convenient water to every household.
Now that she has safe water, Resham has had time to open her own local kiosk which provides her with an income.
Now, Resham walks just 50m to fetch water. She can manage without her daughters’ help, and they can go to school, with their brother. She has more time – enough even to set up a small shop which provides her with income.