The Walk for Water: A Story of Struggle, Survival, and Hope
ghm-globaladminThe Walk That Breaks Childhood
I’ve seen it with my own eyes.
In the dry, dusty heat of rural Kenya, I watched young girls—some no older than eight or nine—make the daily walk for water. Miles each way. Barefoot. Exposed. Vulnerable. Their small frames balancing heavy jugs on their heads, all for the chance to bring back enough water to drink, to cook, to clean.
But what shook me most wasn’t just the distance or the weight. It was the danger.
"Too often, these girls are preyed upon—attacked, harassed, even assaulted—along lonely paths just because they dared to fetch water for their families. A basic human need becomes a perilous journey. And yet, they keep walking. Every day. Because they have no other choice."
The air was thick with dust. The heat pressed down. And still, these young girls trudged on—silent, weary, determined. Their childhood traded for water.
Water is life. And when water is out of reach, everything else suffers: education, health, safety, dignity.
When the Water Crisis Became Personal
“The first moment I realized how dire the water crisis really was came when I watched a young boy scoop brown, murky water from a shallow hole in the ground… This wasn’t a temporary hardship—this was his everyday reality.”
That moment changed everything for me. Until then, water scarcity was something I had read about. But standing there, watching a child drink the same muddy water animals waded through, the crisis became heartbreakingly real.
Once you’ve looked into the eyes of a child who spends hours each day fetching water instead of sitting in a classroom, you cannot unsee it. Once you’ve walked with a mother who fears every sip her children take from a muddy river, you cannot go back to treating water as ordinary.
“Water is life. It is dignity. It is opportunity. And I’ve witnessed the cost when it is missing—the lost potential, the daily suffering, the dreams deferred.”
This is why the crisis feels so urgent. Every day without clean water is another day a child goes thirsty, another day a girl misses school, another day a family risks disease. The clock is ticking.
A Story of Transformation: Asie’s Journey
I’ll never forget meeting Asie, a 12-year-old girl from Ayakomaso, Ghana.
Before the borehole, her days began before sunrise. She walked nearly three miles to a muddy stream, balancing a heavy basin of water on her head. By the time she returned, she was too exhausted—or too late—to attend school. Her dream of becoming a teacher seemed out of reach.
When clean water came to her village, everything changed.
Now, Asie walks only a few steps to the borehole. She attends school every day, her uniform clean, her smile wide. She told me with joy:
“Now I have time to learn. I can be a teacher.”
Water didn’t just quench her thirst—it gave her back her childhood and opened the door to her future.
The Heartbeat of the Community
One of the most hopeful things I’ve witnessed after a borehole is built is the sound of laughter returning. Children play in schoolyards instead of walking miles. Mothers have time to start small gardens. Families gather at the borehole to share stories and life.
I will never forget the day a borehole first flowed. Women and young girls—who had carried the weight of water for years—burst into laughter as clean water splashed from the pump. They played like children, pouring water on each other, squealing with joy.
“In that moment, the borehole wasn’t just a well—it was freedom. It was dignity restored. It was hope overflowing.”
The borehole becomes more than water. It becomes the heartbeat of the community—a place of life, connection, and joy.
Why We Must Act Now
Water is not a luxury. It is a right. Yet for too many, it remains out of reach.
Every borehole, every well, every drop of clean water makes ripples of transformation—unlocking education, protecting health, and restoring dignity.
That is why Global Humanitarian Mission is building water wells and boreholes across Central America and Africa. Each project changes not only the daily walk for water but the future of entire communities.
What You Can Do
“Ordinary people fund wells, advocate for clean water, and pray for communities they may never meet. No step is too small—because together, those small steps become rivers of change.”
You don’t need to be an expert or live abroad to make a difference. Every donation, every share, every prayer matters.
Join Us.
Don’t just read these stories—become part of them. Together, we can ensure no child has to trade her childhood for a jerry can. Together, we can bring water, dignity, and hope.
