Photo essay

UNICEF provides safe water to help children stay in school

For every child, clean and safe water

UNICEF Uganda

A girl holds a jerry can under a spout with another girl pumps water into it — UNICEF Uganda/2017/Jimmy Adriko

12 December 2017

clean and safe water in schools — UNICEF Uganda/2017/Jimmy Adriko Pupils rush down the stream, two kilometres to the nearest stream to fetch water instead of attending school.

clean and safe water in schools — UNICEF Uganda/2017/Jimmy Adriko “When there was no water, we went to the river. Water is heavy, and the river is far. I had to rest two times on the way back. When I got to school, I felt tired. I feared the people I meet on the way Irene K”, 12 years old, P-5.

clean and safe water in schools — UNICEF Uganda/2017/Jimmy Adriko Pupils used to collect water from an unclean water source. They often experienced repeated episodes of diarrhoea, consequently impairing their physical growth, nutrition, and compromising their educational attainment.

clean and safe water in schools — UNICEF Uganda/2017/Jimmy Adriko The pupils endured the long journey to the stream to collect water and this affected their learning patterns because they often missed classes.

clean and safe water in schools — UNICEF Uganda/2017/Jimmy Adriko With the underground tank in place, the pupils at Bubwika Primary School now have access to sufficient amount of safe drinking water.

clean and safe water in schools — UNICEF Uganda/2017/Jimmy Adriko There is plenty of clean water on the school premises which allows for handwashing practices which has positively affected behaviour change among the pupils.

clean and safe water in schools — UNICEF Uganda/2017/Jimmy Adriko With the constant water supply, adolescent girls are also able to manage their menstrual cycles effectively without having to remain at home, which has improved their self-esteem, classroom performance, and contributed to the decrease in early drop-out.

More to explore

Article

Handwashing

Campaign in Uganda builds national capacity to implement large-scale programmes

Read now

Article

Nourishment and clean water

Japan's support delivers nutrition and clean water to Kiryandongo's children

Read now

Article

Uganda launches first climate adaptation plan for WASH

The first climate adaptation plan of its kind globally developed with support from UNICEF

Read now

Press release

24 December 2025

Iceland contributes funding to strengthen government-led programmes for children and adolescents

Read now