“Education is what I call ‘my future’ because school is my future.” This was 16-year-old Vanesa’s response when she was asked about the challenge of not having safe water in her community of Mankhaka Dwangwa, Malawi.
But what does water have to do with education?
On Friday, January 24, 2025, organizations worldwide will celebrate the United Nation’s International Day of Education. Each year, this day encourages people to recognize the role of education in global peace and community development.
Without access to education, children lose this opportunity for intellectual, emotional, and relational growth that helps communities flourish. Millions of children around the world live in this reality due to the lack of safe water in their communities.
In Mankhaka Dwangwa, the closest water source was the Dwangwa River, nearly two miles from from Vanesa’s house. In the dry season, women and children would dig a pit near the river and wait two hours for just 10 liters of groundwater to fill the pit.
16-year-old Vanesa used to walk nearly two miles every morning to the Dwangwa River to collect water for her family, causing her to arrive late to school.
Collectively, women and girls around the world spend 200 million hours per day walking for water. Vanesa used to be one of them.
“I would leave at 3 a.m. [for the river] and get home around 6 a.m.,” Vanesa said. “This means I would get to school late. I would miss some lessons, and it was difficult for me to catch up to my friends.”
Not only did collecting water every morning make Vanesa late for school, but she also frequently missed school because of sicknesses she developed from consuming the contaminated river water.
Consuming the contaminated river water often made Vanesa sick, resulting in her missing days of school at a time.
“The water from the river was unsafe, so I would fall sick,” Vanesa said. “People would wash baby [diapers] in the river. I was worried and in pain because my education was disturbed.”
443 million school days are missed every year because of the global water crisis. School-aged girls who walk for water and children suffering from water-related illnesses miss out on the opportunity to focus on their futures. Vanesa explained why attending school is so important to her.
“First, it is because you can become literate, which means not only can you read, but you can even think differently,” Vanesa said. “Second, to become successful in life, you need an education. I want to be a doctor. I want to help people in need so they can also have a good future.”
Vanesa’s chosen future profession requires her to attend school as often as possible, which is difficult without access to clean, safe water close to home.
In June 2022, Water Mission completed a safe water project in Mankhaka Dwangwa that serves 13,500 people. Safe water is available at community tap stands, a health clinic, two schools, a marketplace, and local churches.
Water Mission implemented a safe water project in Vanesa’s Malawian community in 2022, providing safe water for 13,500 people.
Vanesa and the other children in her community can now drink safe water whenever they want, without having to walk a long distance for it or fear getting sick from it. For Vanesa, access to safe water means hope for her future.
“We no longer fall sick,” Vanesa said. “I can get to school early and learn. For example, last term, I passed with good marks. This makes me happy because I know I can go to secondary school, and from there, I can even go to college.”
Having nearby access to safe water has allowed Vanesa to attend school more frequently. She said, “I can get to school early and learn. For example, last term, I passed with good marks.”
Access to safe water creates an opportunity for children to pursue their educational goals. This International Day of Education, we want to bring awareness to the children whose education is affected by their lack of safe water.
Friends like you help change lives with safe water. When you give to Water Mission on this International Day of Education, you are empowering school-aged children like Vanesa to hope for their futures.