“I left from school during my mensuration as there is no water to wash with,” says Duni Tewil, grade 10 student.
Lack of water has been hindering girl’s education in particular and women’s life in general in Gande Gara village. The worst thing is, both sides – getting and lacking water are problem in this village. Waterborne disease from drinking river water and absence from school for lacking water to rinse with.
Duni, 16 suffers from stomachache and diarrhea for she drinks river water she and her community access traveling 2hours back and forth.
Duni says, “I fear to drink water except I get very thirsty for I have stomachache every single time I drink. It is even more painful with diarrhea during summer season as the river gets muddy when it rains. I can’t concentrate while attending class having stomachache and I don’t go to school if I have diarrhea. It is negatively impacting my performance.”
Duni is elder daughter of her family – the one the rest three are looking up to. Her failure isn’t single failure it rather is her younger siblings whom she is expected to be role model for.
“In my community girls are belittled as if there is a problem in their confidence and their performance in class. I want to prove this belief wrong in everything I do. I study hard to achieve what is believed impossible for girls in my community – I am ranking student. I play football, I advise my younger siblings and my fellow female students to be as confident as myself.
However, there isn’t equality between me, my sisters and my brothers – there is a load on me for I am an elder daughter and even my younger siblings than my brothers who have adequate time of study and play,” says Duni firmly.
Biology is Duni’s favorite subject and she wants to be a Doctor to break the belief in her community that the best thing girls can be is housewife.
Duni says, ”The water project will help me get rid of the waterborne disease and minimize my burden of traveling 2 hours to get water – I will get adequate time of study to realize my dream. I want to thank imagine1day and The Coca Cola Foundation for the opportunity.”