“I used to wake up at around 5am to walk about a half-a-mile before reaching a drinking water point. Sometimes, I spent more than an hour and half before returning home,” says Kadia, a young wife and mother of two, from a village in Mali.
The lack of access to water would cause quarrels in her home, and in her village: “My husband and his younger brother got upset with me, as they thought I [would leave for a long time] on purpose.” And it wouldn’t stop there: The village women would also quarrel with each other over who would get water and how much. Families were not able to wash themselves or have water to clean their homes—water is life, and a lack of water was severely affecting life in her village.
But, now, things are different. Islamic Relief donors provided the resources to build a solar-powered water pump in Kadia’s village—it is connected to a 5,000 liter water tank, which means there is plenty of clean, easy-to-access water for everyone.
“In the morning as soon as I get up after the dawn prayer I prepare breakfast so that my daughter can go to school on time. Afterwards, I immediately get water from the standpipe built by Islamic Relief,” Kadia says.
“After the creation of the new water point, a lot of the suffering of the women in my village has vanished. Now, I get up every day without pressure or worry. I use this source for all my domestic needs, moreover my children and husband wash themselves every day. Women are getting along well now, as there are no more quarrels around the water point thanks to Islamic Relief.”
The water source in Kadia’s village is one of hundreds set up all throughout Mali to help communities just like hers.
“I thank Allah, the Almighty, for blessing us with this infrastructure, then I express my gratitude to Islamic Relief and the donors for giving meaning to our lives. Indeed, there is no life without water. May Allah grant them the highest rank of the paradise! Ameen.”