Every Tank Tells a Story

Behind each family is a journey from hardship to hope. With every rainwater tank, a new chapter begins—one of health, dignity, and safety. These stories are only possible thanks to the compassion of those who choose to make a difference.

Sponsor: Borrmeister Architects
New Zealand

Topista Tibenderana

First to receive a rainwater tank; Topista previously walked 7 km for unsafe water.

Topista and her family were the first to participate in the Family Rainwater Tank Project. During dry seasons, they would endure the physical strain of walking up to 7 kilometres to reach seasonal streams and rock catchments, often unsafe and high in mineral content. Their lives have now been transformed by access to clean, nearby water, relieving them from this arduous journey.

Woman standing beside a new water tank with a plaque, outside in a rural area with trees and a small hut in the background.

An elderly woman and a young boy standing outside a mud-brick house, both holding large wooden objects on their heads.

Sponsor: Borrmeister Architects
New Zealand

Musime Silvia

Widowed mother of six, Musime’s children often miss school due to water collection.

Musime lives on a remote hilltop with her six children. Each day, they walk 5 km to fetch water, often encountering harassment when the children go alone. With poor road access and limited resources, school attendance was an ongoing challenge. Today, thanks to Borrmeister Architects, the family will have access to clean water close to home, no longer forced to choose between education and survival.

An elderly woman standing beside a wire enclosure, with a tree inside, in a rural setting with mud walls and green plants in the background.

A woman and seven children standing in front of a rustic, mud-brick building with a small window, outdoor setting with dirt ground, under a corrugated metal roof.

Sponsor: Winston Wallboards
New Zealand

Ayebazibwe Conrad

Caring for four younger siblings after losing both parents, the family survives on a banana plantation.

After losing her parents, Ayebazibwe became head of the household. She cares for four siblings, having already lost one last year to diarrhoea. Their parents’ banana plantation remains their primary source of food and income. Their only water source is 4 km away. Ayebazibwe is deeply grateful to Winstone Wallboards, whose support is helping her family rebuild their lives safely.

A young boy standing against a brick wall, wearing a patterned shirt and a white head covering.

Five children standing outdoors in front of a brick wall and some greenery.

Sponsor: Winston Wallboards
New Zealand

Tugumisirize Agness

Widowed mother of eight walks 5 km daily for water.

After losing her husband to HIV/AIDS, Agness was left to raise seven children and a newborn alone. Each day, they navigate a steep, rocky hill to collect water from a distant stream, returning with heavy jerry cans filled to the brim. The children have dropped out of school, their days consumed by the exhausting task. Tugumisirize cannot express enough gratitude to Winstone Wallboards for the life-changing gift of a tank.

Six children standing outside on dirt ground near a mud wall and wooden door, with a yellow basin on the ground.

A group of children and an adult standing outdoors in front of a brick wall, with some children holding items and wearing casual clothing.

Sponsor: Winston Wallboards
New Zealand

Kyampaire Olivious

Mother of five living on the Kamubeizi Hills.

Kyampaire lives with her children in a remote area where only the older ones can manage the 5 km trek to fetch water. The steep, hazardous path poses serious risks, especially for girls. The water is visibly dirty, leading to frequent illness and medical expenses that the family can hardly afford.

Three children standing indoors against a wooden door and a rustic wall, looking at the camera.

A group of children and a woman standing outside in front of a mud wall and wooden door.

Sponsor: Ryalls Family
New Zealand

Tumwakire Agness

A widowed mother of nine lost a child to a crocodile while fetching water.

Tumwakire endures daily hardship to care for her children. One of them was taken by a crocodile while collecting water from the Kagera River, 10 km away. The family relies on long, dangerous treks to reach unsafe and shrinking sources. Tumwakire warmly thanks the Ryalls Family for their generous and open-hearted support.

Woman sitting next to an outdoor fire pit with a roast chicken inside, surrounded by plants and banana trees.

Group of young children standing outdoors in front of a mud wall, some posing and some sitting or kneeling in the dirt yard.

Young girl standing in front of a concrete wall with handwritten sign, wearing a patterned dress, with a wooden structure in the background.

Sponsor: Ben & Rebecca
New Zealand

Nyamaguru Kedress

Four of her seven children died from waterborne diseases.

Nyamaguru has suffered an unimaginable loss. With no clean water, four of her children died from diseases like typhoid and diarrhoea. Her eldest daughter has never attended school because she stays home to care for a disabled sibling and help fetch water 6 km away. Today, life has taken a hopeful turn thanks to Ben and Rebecca’s generous gift of a rainwater tank.

A family of five standing outside a mud house in a rural area, with greenery and banana trees nearby.

Sponsor: Ben & Rebecca
New Zealand

Tamurungi Kellen

Mother of five relies on rainwater containers and long treks for water.

Tamurungi and her family live in a remote village. They collect rainwater in open containers or walk 4 km to fetch it. Life revolves around the weather and endless trips. With the arrival of a rainwater tank, the burden on her children—and her—will ease. Today, Tamurungi’s life has taken a hopeful turn thanks to the support of Ben and Rebecca.

Group of children and two adults standing outside near a dirt wall, some children are barefoot, and the adults are wearing casual clothing.

A woman standing outside in front of a weathered wall with closed blue wooden shutters, wearing a patterned skirt and a blue shawl, with a drum and a pot beside her.

Sponsor: Inigo & Associates
Australia

Nkirirehe Justina

Widowed mother of seven, four surviving, lives on a steep hillside; lost three children to waterborne diseases.

Justina lives on dry, rocky terrain with her four children. Every day, she walks 4 km to fetch water, navigating gullies where women and girls face threats of violence. When she received the news that Inigo & Associates would help co-fund a rainwater tank, she was overwhelmed with emotion. To her, it marks the start of a new, safer chapter.

A woman with four young boys standing in front of a wooden door and a mud wall, outdoors on bare ground.

Five children standing outside a mud brick building, with one child wearing a green patterned dress and four children wearing various colorful clothing.

Sponsor: Craig & Sian
New Zealand

Twine Grace

Mother of six; water source 4 km away and shared with animals.

Each morning, Twine and her children walk a difficult track to collect water contaminated by livestock. The journey takes a heavy physical and emotional toll. Her family is deeply grateful to Craig and Sian for helping bring clean water closer to home.

An older woman wearing a colorful patterned dress and a headwrap standing outside a dirt wall house with a closed wooden window. A young boy is partially visible beside her.

An African woman holding a young child, standing outdoors against a mud wall and wooden gate, both gazing at the camera.

Sponsor: Jones Family
New Zealand

Kyoheirwe Grace

An 80-year-old grandmother is relying on her grandchildren to fetch water 3 km away.

At 80, Kyoheirwe Grace lives with four grandchildren who care for animals and fetch water. The daily walk is challenging for them, and it is impossible for her. She is deeply grateful to the Jones Family for fully funding the rainwater tank—something she never dreamed possible. It now brings her peace of mind in her later years.

A woman wearing a headscarf, patterned dress, and brown jacket holding a stick; a young child is partially visible in the lower right corner. They are standing against a dirt wall.

An elderly woman with a white headscarf and blue patterned skirt is standing outside a small mud-brick building, holding onto the wooden door frame, with banana trees in the background.

Sponsor: Jones Family
New Zealand

Kahara Judith

Mother of six; lost four young children to waterborne illnesses.

Kahara’s family endured tragedy after tragedy. Without access to clean water, four of her six children died under the age of five from preventable illnesses. Her surviving children have left home to find work, and Kahara walks 4 km every day to fetch unsafe water. Kahara is deeply grateful to the Jones Family for this life-changing gift.

Woman standing outdoors in front of a brick wall, wearing a colorful blue and orange dress.

Sponsor: Engel Family
New Zealand

Rosette Mugenyi

Rosette lives with her husband, who is blind, and their six children in a remote hilltop village.

Rosette and her children walk 7 kilometres down and back a steep valley to collect often unsafe water, carrying heavy containers. With her husband unable to assist, the family’s burden is greater. Rosette is deeply grateful to the Engel Family for their support in easing their daily struggle.

Hilly rural landscape with a small house with a metal roof and three people standing on the dirt ground in front of it, with hills and sparse vegetation in the background.

A group of children and two women standing outside a mud house with a door and window, in a rural area.

Sponsor: Engel Family
New Zealand

Muteteri Allen

Caring for seven grandchildren, Muteteri fetches water from a polluted river.

Muteteri is raising seven grandchildren after losing their parents to HIV/AIDS. The family fetches water from the Kagera River, 2 km away, a place polluted with debris and bodies, also home to crocodiles and hippos. A small plastic tank never met their needs. Today, they are relieved and grateful to the Engel Family for a rainwater tank that has replaced danger with dignity.

A woman with three children standing outside a brick house near a blue plastic barrel.

A woman standing outdoors on a dirt path with green vegetation and hills in the background, holding a yellow container.

Sponsor: Dr. H. B
Germany

Rovina Kyarimpa

Living with her mother and six children, Rovina faces a daily struggle for water.

Rovina accompanies the children to fetch water along a steep, stony hill. They wake early to avoid the scorching sun, but the water remains hard and contaminated. Life is extremely challenging. Rovina is deeply grateful for Dr. H.B.’s generous support.

Woman standing outside in front of a mud wall and wooden structure, wearing a pink sleeveless shirt and blue skirt.

A group of children and women standing outside in a rural area, with a small house and trees in the background, some holding containers.

Sponsor: ENGCO
New Zealand

Byencwekye Jolly

At 91 years old, Byencwekye Jolly still walks 3 kilometres to fetch water, alone.

Despite her age, she walks 3 km daily to collect water, carrying a small container with her. Like many elders in the region, her children have moved away, leaving her to manage on her own. Jolly is deeply grateful to ENGCO for fully funding a rainwater tank, bringing hope to her community.

An elderly woman and five children sitting on the dirt ground outside a mud house with a green door. There are empty plastic containers and a red basin nearby, and a small green plant is growing in the dirt.

An elderly woman standing outdoors holding a black pot, with a large plastic container and a dirt wall behind her.

Sponsor: ENGCO
New Zealand

Orishaba Midius

Mother of five; walks 6 km for water while caring for a deaf, disabled husband.

Orishaba and her children make the long journey for water despite facing challenges along the way. Her husband’s mobility and hearing difficulties mean she carries much of the family’s care. The children often get sick, and medical care is hard to afford. Orishaba is truly thankful to ENGCO for bringing life-changing water security to her family.

Sponsor: Karen Chadwick
Australia - Existing Tank Repair

Tamukiza Jairesi

85-year-old grandmother raising multiple generations—family walks 3 km daily for water.

After losing five children to cholera, dysentery, and HIV/AIDS, Tamukiza now cares for their orphaned grandchildren. Eight people live together with her son.

Their water tank was severely damaged by an earthquake 10 years ago and remains unusable. Bottled water is too costly, worsening health issues. Thankfully, Karen Chadwick has generously offered to fund repairs, bringing hope for safer water, better health, and renewed dignity.

Sponsor: ENGCO
New Zealand

Kyogabirwe Oliva

Kyogabirwe lives with her children in a household of six.

After losing three of her eight children to waterborne illness, Kyogabirwe continues to face daily hardship. Her family frequently suffers from dehydration and skin infections.

During the dry season, they walk 6 km to the River Kagera. Kyogabirwe is deeply grateful to ENGCO for their generous support—it brings hope and relief to her family.

Sponsor: John Creighton
New Zealand

Kyomuhangi Annette

Mother and sole caregiver—family walks 3 km daily for water.

After losing her husband and two children to cholera and dysentery, Annette now raises her five children alone. During the rainy season, they use unsafe water from rock tanks and stagnant pools. To conserve water, they sometimes skip cooking and eat roasted bananas or sweet potatoes instead. Kyomuhangi warmly thanks John Creighton for his generosity, which has transformed her family’s access to safe water.

Sponsor: Nic Rollinson
New Zealand

Alice Rukashazya

Mother and family walk 6 km daily for unsafe water.

Alice lives with her daughter, son, and grandchildren. She lost two of her eight children to diarrhoea. Each day, the family navigates steep gullies to reach a contaminated water source shared with animals, often waiting for it to settle before collecting.

The children rise at 4 a.m. to fetch water, often missing school as a result. Evenings are unsafe due to the remote location. One daughter’s life was forever changed by the dangers faced on these long, unprotected walks. Alice is deeply thankful for Nic Rollinson’s support.

Sponsor: Peter Uhlisch
Germany

Twikirize Judith

Mother and sole caregiver—family walks 5 km daily for water.

Twikirize lives with her five children and her sister-in-law’s family. She lost her husband and two children to waterborne illness.

During the rainy season, they rely on hard, fluoride-rich water from rock tanks and stagnant pools, which discolours teeth and affects cooking. Twikirize was overjoyed when Peter Uhlisch kindly agreed to sponsor her family.

Sponsor:

Nyabutono Annah

Grandmother caring for family in a remote village with steep terrain.

After losing her husband, Nyabutono Annah was left to raise her family alone. Years later, the rainwater tank he had built fell into disrepair. With no means to fix it, Annah returned to collecting water the hard way. Each day, she, her sons, and granddaughter walk 5 km through steep terrain to a contaminated source also used by animals. A mother of eight, Annah has endured the heartbreaking loss of two children—one to dysentery, the other to a python attack.