Cameroon—Nearer Still

There is no running water in homes here. While people in the USA wear smartwatches and track their steps, this young girl doesn’t count steps when she gets water. She counts five large containers. She counts how many people are in line ahead of her. And she counts it a blessing.

Why? A well was never so near. Now it’s only a 1 km walk after Fahmiyanwi helped her village drill and build one.

One kilometer equals about 10 football fields traveled in approximately 2,000 steps for a child. This is how far she walks and then pushes the full cart of water back twice a week to gather every drop of water used in their household: cooking, cleaning, bathing, etc..

What is ordinary in one place would be unimaginable in another. Yet this is the daily math of water poverty: distance, weight, waiting, and time carried on small shoulders.

A well does more than bring water closer. It gives hours back to a child, strength back to a family, and health back to a community.

That is the power of clean water—measured not only in liters, but in lives changed.

April 2026 Observances #NationalPublicHealthWeek #WorldHealthDay #EarthDay #WorldDayForSafety #HealthAndSafety