Nyamasheke District, located in western Rwanda, is one of the areas prone to natural disasters such as flash flooding and landslides. In May 2020, floods and landslides destroyed its water supply systems, which led to difficult journeys to unreliable water sources and really affected the residents of this district. Nyamasheke has been far from simple in recent years.
The district faced the devastating impact of heavy rains and landslides, destroying water supply systems and completely interrupting water services. The community was in dire circumstances, grappling with the scarcity of one of life’s most fundamental resources: clean water.
The hardship faced by the children, women, and men of Nyamasheke District was profound. They were engaged in daily battles at water sources, struggling for their turn to collect water for their families. The alternative to that was long trekking to distant water sources, often resulting in children needing more time for school, as they sometimes helped parents fetch water or, in some cases, could not attend school. It was a harsh reality that the community faced day by day. (This information is courtesy of UNICEF Rwanda.)
In 2023, a ray of light entered the lives of Nyamasheke’s residents through support from the Government of Japan, in collaboration with UNICEF. With dedicated funding and resources to address the water scarcity issue, the community began to witness a transformative change.
Water supply systems were restored, and some were newly constructed in various villages throughout Nyamasheke, ending the relentless battle for water. Additionally, some people from the village benefited from the project by being offered employment opportunities to restore or construct waterworks.
