Safe water for Sharifa's family and friends
There would often be many women at the pond where Sharifa collected water for drinking and cooking. The women were washing their laundry and bathing their children.
"I walked 20 minutes to collect water from a pond. It was difficult."
Sharifa faced many challenges in securing safe water for her family. She relied on various sources: the sea, a distant tube well, a rice field, ponds, or purchased water from vendors. However, none of these options offered the reliability and safety of a consistent, safe water supply at home. Each day was a struggle to find the next liter of water, and when she did manage to collect it, it often came with unwanted consequences like itching, stomach pain, and other illnesses.
"My children fell ill from drinking unsafe water, which caused us a lot of suffering."
Sharifa's neighbor washes dishes at the river where Sharifa once collected water for her family.
Sharifa recounted, “I walked 20 minutes to collect water from a pond. It was difficult. We used to drink the water, bathe in it, use it for washing, and even cook with it.” As a mother of young children, the effort to find and collect water was compounded by the distress of seeing her children get sick from the only water she could provide. She shared, “They often got sick. Sometimes, we conserved rainwater and drank it, not realizing we needed to purify it first. My children fell ill from drinking unsafe water, which caused us a lot of suffering.”
Sharifa was determined to give her family safe water at home.
Desperate for a reliable and affordable solution, Sharifa felt helpless. She knew she couldn't afford the upfront cost of installing a tube well. “My husband is the sole income-earner for our family, and we have two children. Our income was never enough.”
Fortunately, Sharifa learned from our local partner in Bangladesh, TMSS, that she and her husband could finance the solution they needed through a manageable loan, repaying it in small installments over time.
Sharifa fills a vessel of water using her tube well at home.
Sharifa waters the vegetables she grows to feed her family.
Now, the safe water solution that once seemed out of reach has become a crucial part of Sharifa’s life. She proudly reflects on the positive impact it has had on her family’s health and well-being. “I am truly happy now. I am satisfied with everything, from washing to cooking with this water. Even our neighbors come to collect water from my tube well, and I feel good about that.”
