Featured Archive Story
Meet Claudia
Claudia's village, Lubunda, is in a disadvantaged part of northern Zambia, where people once relied on dirty, distant and dangerous water sources.
Claudia speaks about what life was like before the safe, piped water arrived to everybody's homes last year: 'It was so difficult, because it was a long distance to fetch water. We were coming to school late, and we didn't have enough to bathe with.'
With more free time, she's able to do more of what she loves most: singing. Claudia has become a leading member of Girls Leading Our World, a gospel choir set up at her school which helps teach younger girls how to deal with their periods safely.
Safe water gives Claudia the opportunity to live a healthier life, with less danger of disease. It means a better start for the future generations of Lubunda too. Claudia's excited that the two new additions to her family, her newborn twin brothers, won't grow up with the same struggles that she's had.
Claudia is thinking about what that tomorrow holds for her too. When she finishes school, she says:
'I want to be a nurse. I see nurses taking care of the children, giving out vaccines. There are no nurses in the family – yes, I’ll be the first!'
SOURCE: WATER AID