Amina brings a wellspring of hope to her community
At her home outside of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Amina’s days once began with a burden. As a mother of four—her children ranging from school-age to young adult—she would rise before dawn to collect water from a source thirty minutes away. The walk was long, the wait even longer, and the return trip left little time for anything else.
Not only is Amina a loving mother and grandmother to her own family, the children in her village love to visit her at her home.
“We’d have to wait another thirty minutes just to get our turn,” she recalls her trips back-and-forth to a government well. “It delayed everything—cooking, cleaning, even getting the kids ready for school.”
Water was essential, yet inaccessible. And Amina knew something had to change.
Amina's passion for others combined with her ability to solve problems has transformed her life and the lives of her neighbors.
With quiet determination, Amina sought a way to give her family a safe water solution. With a small affordable loan made possible through our local financial partner in her community, Amina was able to finance the construction of a well on her property. After her well was complete, Amina also financed the installation of a pipe system to bring water directly to her home. What began as a solution for her family quickly became a lifeline for her community. Neighbors came to collect water from her home, shortening their own journeys and reclaiming their time.
Seeing the growing demand, Amina expanded. She financed a second well, added tanks, and eventually introduced a metered system to deliver water directly to nearby homes. What once required hours of labor could now be accessed with the turn of a tap. And Amina had found a way to earn income for her family while also making a positive difference in the lives of the friends and neighbors she loves.
“I’ve taken the buckets down from their heads."
“I’ve taken the buckets down from their heads,” she says proudly. “They can finish their housework early and go out to earn a living. I’ve liberated myself—and helped them liberate themselves too.”
Amina is proud to know her grandchildren's futures are bright.
“There isn’t much that can be done without it. I’m happy I no longer have to struggle—and even happier that they don’t either.”
Through our work, and thanks to her determination to give her friends and family access to safe water, today Amina operates six water tanks. Her initiative has transformed not just her life, but the lives of hundreds of families who now have lasting access to safe water for cooking, laundry, bathing and more.
“Water means a lot to me,” she says. “There isn’t much that can be done without it. I’m happy I no longer have to struggle—and even happier that they don’t either.”
Amina's six water tanks now serve more than 150 household customers in her community.
Amina’s story is a testament to how affordable access to safe water can unlock the power of one person’s courage to create lasting change. Thanks to your support of our work, Amina transformed the future for herself, her children, and her community in Tanzania.
