Chiyumbabeenzu Health Post is staffed by one nurse, one psychosocial support officer, and two community health assistants. In Zambia’s Southern Province, they serve a community of over 3,000 residents, attending to up to 50 patients daily. For nearly a decade, the clinic operated without mechanised water. The handpump, which supplied water before World Vision intervened, was often broken, creating significant challenges, especially for expecting mothers.

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.

Guided by compassion and purpose, World Vision Ghana remained committed in 2024 to uplifting vulnerable children. Through strong partnerships nationwide, we delivered transformative support.

“Before the borehole came, we used to suffer. We didn’t have the time to go to the field and cultivate. Only one person would go and farm, which is why poverty became worse,” says Charity.

This article tells the story of Eugénie, a 29-year-old mother living in Gemena, Democratic Republic of Congo, whose life was transformed by access to clean water. Formerly burdened by the daily struggle to fetch unsafe water for her family, Eugénie faced health issues and time constraints that impacted her children and livelihood. The installation of a water kiosk by World Vision changed everything, bringing safe water close to home, improving her family’s health, and giving her the time and freedom to focus on other responsibilities. The article highlights not only Eugénie’s transformation but also the positive ripple effects clean water has had on her entire community.