HOW CLEAN WATER CHANGED TWO CHILDHOODS

Mohamed and Fatitima grew up side by side in the same village in Sierra Leone. Two cousins whose childhoods were shaped by the same daily ritual: walking to the river to collect water. 

It was a task that seemed simple, almost ordinary. But behind every trip was a story of fear, danger and uncertainty. 

Daily, the children faced a choice. They could cross a major road, where cars sped past without slowing, and where some of their friends had been injured. Or they could take the long, hidden path through thick bush, isolated and full of unknowns.  

And once they arrived, the water waiting for them was often brown, muddy, and unsafe. Often making them sick, sometimes spreading disease. 

For Fatitima, the danger was even more acute. The river was a place where girls were vulnerable to attack; a place whispered about in fear. As she grew older, her courage had to grow too. She never went alone. She always stayed alert. She kept herself safe, but too many girls she knew could not say the same. 

It’s hard to imagine that something as essential as water could cost a child so much. 

Time. Safety. Education. Peace of mind. Childhood itself. 

But hope was already growing in their community

For thirteen years, child sponsors have walked alongside this community, and step by step, the community is leading change. More children have filled classrooms. Mothers have received better healthcare. Families have built stronger livelihoods. And now, the greatest burden of all has been lifted. 

Today, their village has clean, safe water at its heart. 

World Vision worked with local leaders to install a solar-powered borehole that pumps water to five tap points across the village. It’s sustainable. It’s reliable. And with Sierra Leone’s generous sunshine, the water keeps flowing without electricity, fuel or fear of running dry. 

The transformation is immediate. Children once walked dangerous paths, now they walk to school. Hours once spent to and from the river are now spent learning, playing and dreaming. Girls like Fatitima no longer have to measure every step for safety. They can simply be children again. 

Mohamed leads us down the overgrown trail to the river. Grass has swallowed the path. Mud fills the spots where many feet once passed. It’s quiet now. No longer a road children must take, but a symbol of a hardship they have overcome. 

Where danger once stood, hope now flows and change takes root. And it started when we journeyed with children.

Help bring clean water to more communities

When you sponsor a child, you step into their story - their name, their needs, their hopes - and help them see a future full of possibilities. 

Your support gives a child what they need to thrive: clean water, enough food, and the opportunity to learn. And as their story unfolds, it strengthens families and whole communities.