Do you think you could balance a 20-litre bucket of water on your head? It might be easy for the first thirty seconds. But, how about for an hour?

70-year-old Esther has done this. Every day. For more than 20 years.

Living on her own in rural Zimbabwe, Esther collected water every day. This was from a dirty river, located four kilometres from her home. The daily walk wore her down. The path was dangerous; the ground uneven and steep, with loose rocks everywhere. This made her tired.

One day, Esther sat with some others from her village. Word had gotten out that there would be a borehole drilled in their village! Maybe Esther’s long walks to collect water would finally be over.

GMP Relief and Development partner Showers of Blessing installs boreholes that provide safe water for rural communities in Zimbabwe. Boreholes that help people like Esther.

In May 2023, Showers of Blessing installed a borehole in Esther’s village!

When the water flowed out of the borehole, Esther danced for joy. She celebrated alongside others. “She never thought that would happen in her lifetime,” said Boniface, Showers of Blessing Director.

Esther no longer needs to become weary, walking a dangerous trail to collect water. The borehole is close to Esther’s home. Now she only needs to walk 500 metres!

Because of the borehole, Esther can focus her energy on establishing her garden. “Although I do not have much energy left, I should be able to grow a few vegetables,” she said.

Showers of Blessing gifted Esther with an avocado tree. “It will provide much-needed fruit one day,” Esther said with a smile.

You might not be able to balance a large bucket of water on your head, but you can ask your friends and family to donate to Safe Water September! Thanks to challenge takers like you, SWS can help people like Esther to not only provide safe water but to also create opportunities for better livelihoods.

Sign up for the Safe Water September Challenge today. Raise funds and change lives!

Showers of Blessing Trust's (OSBT) project is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).