I’m happy and healthy. I have clean water

Neema is 10 and lives in Marafa Kenya with her parents and eight siblings. Her older sister, Harusi, 12, is sponsored through World Vision, so Neema enjoys some of the benefits, too, like access to clean water, school uniform, bed sheets, backpack, and medical care. Neema attends Makumba Primary School.

Before World Vision came to their village, Neema had to get up early every morning to fetch water by walking down a very steep hill covered with spiny shrubs, to a dirty swamp. “The worst part was walking back up the steep hill,” Neema says.

“When we drank the water, I sometimes got sick. I even had to go to the hospital because I got so sick,” she says. One time she got so sick at school that her teacher, Mapenzi Vestiner, had to rush her to the hospital. The one thing she wanted more than anything else was clean water. Everything changed when World Vision brought clean water.

“Now I’m happy and healthy. I have clean water and I don’t get sick. I don’t miss school any more and I’m doing well. I’m making good grades in my favorite subject, Swahili. Now I believe I can achieve my dream of becoming a teacher.”

How You Can Help

• Sponsor a child: Sponsorship makes a long-term investment in the life of a child, his/her family and community, providing greater access to life-giving basics like nutritious food, clean water, medical care, and education -- the foundation for a future of independence and hope.
• Share our VISION: Be a part of our ongoing campaigns to raise awareness for children caught up in conflict and/or poverty by sharing this message with the world. Use Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google+ and Pinterest to spread the word. Raise your voice and let others know how important it is to invest in the lives of children.