Ungwa Sangani, a single mother who lives in Lulinda, South Kivu, used to leave home very early in the morning to make a two-hour round-trip to a river to fetch contaminated water for herself and her three children. She would stop work in her field early to collect water again in the afternoon, and had little time for her business producing palm oil.

Now, however, as a result of work done by Tearfund through the SWIFT programme, the community has access to clean, safe water in the heart of the village. Ungwa’s children are less sick, and now she doesn’t have to get up so early to collect water, she can spend more time in her field and developing her palm oil business.

As a result, Ungwa is able to buy more food for her family to eat, as well as new clothes for herself and her children. Like the other residents of Lulinda, she is determined that the recent changes in her community will last.