It might not seem like the most linear equation. What does water have to do with education? But step inside Netra’s classroom with us and you’ll see just what we mean.
When Netra was a student in the mountaintop community of Ambote, Nepal, he and his classmates made their way up to school each morning by maneuvering a zig-zagging path with great care. But the treacherous climb was only one of the dangers students faced, and falls weren’t actually all that common. Falling ill? That was a regular occurrence. Without access to clean water, sickness was a daily reality.
Netra returned to the school of his youth in 2009, this time as a teacher. But he found that nothing had changed. “It was almost like a pandemic due to dirty water,” he shared.
The trend continued — pervasive sickness, empty classrooms — until 2016, when supporters like you funded a water project that brought clean water directly to the school and surrounding community.
These days, those once-empty classrooms are now full — so full that the school recently expanded to a brand new building. And even though their present experience has changed dramatically, Netra has noticed the biggest difference in his students' ambitions for the future.