At the time, the annual exam was fast approaching, and Jui was determined to score well. She’d signed up for extra classes and was studying hard — until a severe skin disease landed her in the hospital.
She spent seven days enduring daily injections and a regimen of medication. That stay was followed by three more weeks of recovery at home. All the while, Jui kept studying. But despite her best efforts, she couldn’t catch up.
“I had to study under a lot of stress, but I still couldn’t do well on the exam.”
Jui’s cycle of sickness and stress was doomed to repeat itself without access to clean water. The usual illnesses would continue to steal a day here or a day there. Her period might keep her home for up to seven days per month. She could even end up in the hospital … again.
Thankfully, charity: water’s local partners stepped in. By January of this year, Jui’s school had a rainwater harvesting system and gleaming new bathrooms. The feelings Jui felt?
Happiness. Hope. Peace.
“Now that I have safe water, I have a different kind of happiness. I think I can do something in the future. I no longer have the fear of getting sick again. … I think everyone in my school can live in peace.”