Empowering Children and Communities Through Integrated School Meal Solutions

For years, the residents of Mundanya Village in Manyinga District faced a harsh reality—children and families risking their lives fetching unsafe water from the crocodile-infested Kabompo River. Safe drinking water was a distant dream, and poor sanitation hindered their health and well-being.

This article is a powerful story highlighting how a modest intervention, a personal plastic cup, greatly improved hygiene, hydration, and learning conditions in four schools in the Lualaba province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It recounts the longstanding lack of potable water at Amani Primary School in Mutshatsha and the transformative impact of a borehole installed in 2022, which gave over 1,600 students access to clean water. However, without drinking containers, students were still unable to hydrate safely and effectively. In early 2025, a donation of 3,625 plastic cups across four schools allowed students to drink water hygienically and comfortably. This simple addition significantly reduced water waste, improved hygiene, and helped students stay focused in class. The initiative, part of World Vision’s Gifts-In-Kind (GIK) program, illustrates the profound impact of addressing overlooked details in development work.

This report covers the fourth year of our Global WASH Business Plan (fiscal years 2021-2025).

The Grow ENRICH project aims to improve maternal and child health and nutrition in Kenya, Somalia, and Tanzania, benefiting many individuals over four years.

The Baseline Report for the BMZ Grow ENRICH Project analyses maternal and child health in East Africa, highlighting key findings and recommendations for improvement.

Country Capacity Factsheet