From Two Hours to Thirty Seconds: How EKN iWASH Project Is Transforming Lives In South Kivu
Nyangezi, South Kivu - For four long years, Marie, 13, started her day before dawn. Her path led her to a distant water point in Nguka, a journey she dreaded as much as it exhausted her. Today, her daily life has changed completely. "It now takes me just thirty seconds to come and get water. We've had this water point nearby for two months now," she says with a smile.
Before the intervention of the EKN iWASH project, funded by the Kingdom of the Netherlands and implemented by World Vision, Marie spent two hours each day on the chore of fetching water. Precious time that she could neither dedicate to her homework nor share with her friends. "It took me two hours to get back home with the water. I would return very tired because of the long distance, and I was too afraid to go fetch water alone," she recalls.
Now, school has regained its central place in her life.
"Today, when I come back from school in the afternoon, I have enough time to do my homework and play with my friends. Having this water so close to home makes me happy," adds Marie, freed from a burden that also weighed on family relationships.
According to her, managing water at home used to cause tension with her brothers.
Measurable progress
Marie's story is not an isolated case. It reflects the progress achieved by the EKN iWASH project in the health zones of Nyangezi and Nyantende.
In terms of access to safe water, 40 water sources have been constructed, benefiting 16,500 direct beneficiaries, including two health facilities and seven schools who are seeing their daily lives transformed. In addition, 75 standpipes have already been built out of the 200 expected by the end of the project, which will serve more than 44,000 additional people.
Dr. Olivier KABARATI, chief medical officer of the Nyangezi health zone, does not hide his relief.
"The first visible impact of access to safe water is the reduction in waterborne diseases. Before 2025, our health zone recorded between 8,000 and 10,000 cases of waterborne diseases per year. But since this water system came into operation, in the second half of 2025, we have fallen to fewer than 5,000 cases. For us, this is already a very positive and extremely significant impact."
The second major result is the near-total eradication of cholera. "Before this support for safe water, the cholera epidemic was recurrent and permanent. Since the distribution of this water, we have recorded no epidemics. Only a few sporadic cases remain," the doctor rejoices.
Total sanitation: putting an end to open defecation
Safe water alone is not enough without sustainable hygiene practices. The project has therefore helped raise awareness among 6,545 households about hygiene, using an innovative approach: CLTS (Community-Led Total Sanitation). The result is unequivocal.
"Today, open defecation has almost disappeared from our villages, thanks to the awareness campaigns carried out. Many localities have been CLTS-certified," Dr. Olivier explains.
In the education sector, 12 schools have benefited from adapted sanitation infrastructure: 12 six-door latrine blocks and 12 two-door latrine blocks have been constructed, improving learning conditions for 11,348 students. In the health facilities, 8 six-door latrine blocks have also been built, strengthening dignity and hygiene for patients and healthcare workers alike. Girls and boys can now study and receive care in a healthy environment, free from health risks and absenteeism linked to waterborne diseases.
A model of integration
The results show that investing in safe water means acting simultaneously on public health, gender equality, education and family cohesion. Marie, who is no longer afraid to fetch water, can now dream of a future where her studies come first.
As Dr. Olivier summarises: "The impact is there, visible, measurable and sustainable."
Urgent needs elsewhere in the province
The success of Nyangezi and Nyantende should not overshadow the pressing needs of other communities in South Kivu. As Dr. Olivier urgently reminds us:
"I would like to see these initiatives replicated in areas that were not fortunate enough to be targeted but are in urgent need of support. Take Kamanyola, for example, which is currently experiencing an influx of displaced people due to ongoing clashes, thousands of families have been forced to flee their homes."
Without access to safe water, these vulnerable populations face a heightened risk of cholera and other waterborne diseases. The EKN iWASH project has proven that sustainable solutions work. Now, donors and decision-makers must act to scale up this model to every community that needs it because no child should have to walk two hours for water, and no family should live in fear of the next epidemic.