In many rural communities across Rwanda, the radio plays a role similar to morning news shows in the United States. It informs, educates and shapes daily decisions.

For Marie Jeanne, a mother of three living in Kinoni Sector, the radio delivered a message that stayed with her: children should eat one egg every day to grow strong and healthy.

Marie Jeanne wanted that for her children. She worked hard, tending her farm and house, carefully stretching every dollar to pay for school fees, clothing and basic necessities. Eggs, however, felt like a luxury. She believed they were only for wealthy families or for children who were seriously ill. No matter how important nutrition felt, this remained out of reach.

At the same time, Marie Jeanne served her community as a World Relief WASH (Water Access, Sanitation, and Hygiene) project volunteer. In this role, she visited neighbors, shared practical hygiene knowledge and helped families adopt healthier practices around clean water and sanitation. She spent her days encouraging change, without knowing that change was about to reach her own home.

Chickens changing lives?

Through the partnership with World Relief and 20 Liters, WASH volunteers received chickens as part of a broader effort to improve health, nutrition and long-term resilience. Marie Jeanne was a recipient and graciously welcomed the chickens, not knowing how quickly they would reshape her family’s daily life.

Before long, the chickens began laying eggs.

Today, Marie Jeanne prepares one egg every morning for each of her children before they leave for school. “My children are growing stronger, gaining weight and getting sick less often,” she explains. “Clean water and nutritious food have truly transformed their health.” With better nutrition and reliable access to clean water, her children arrive at school healthier, more focused and ready to learn.

The chickens provide more than nutrition. Marie Jeanne’s family now has four, and as they continue to multiply, she plans to sell eggs for income. That income will help cover other household needs and reduce the financial stress that many rural families face daily.

Permission to Dream

More importantly, the chickens have given Marie Jeanne permission to dream. She hopes the income will one day allow her to buy a goat, then a cow and eventually land. These are not abstract dreams; they are achievable steps that represent stability, dignity and a secure future for her children.

Marie Jeanne expresses deep gratitude to 20 Liters and World Relief for their support. What began as clean water and practical resources has grown into better nutrition, stronger health and new economic opportunity. For her family, and many others like hers, this partnership is meeting more than immediate needs. It is helping rural families in Rwanda build healthier, more hopeful futures, one step at a time

The post Nourishment and Hope: How Clean Water and Chickens are Transforming Futures appeared first on 20 Liters.

Just a few years ago, that wasn’t the case.

Clementine, a 36-year-old mother of five, and her husband worked hard to provide for their family in Mugesera, Rwanda. But with two young children under the age of five, every day brought difficult choices. Like many families in their community, they relied on untreated water from Lake Mugesera for drinking, cooking and daily life – leaving their children vulnerable to waterborne disease. Living in poverty and with little access to health information, they had few opportunities to change their circumstances.

After seeing the family’s need for clean water, World Relief, in partnership with 20 Liters, provided her them with a Slow Sand Water Filter. At the same time, a community facilitator invited Clementine to join their Community Hygiene Club. Twice a week, she meets with other families to learn practical ways to improve health, sanitation, nutrition and financial stability. Together they share ideas, practice new skills and encourage one another to make changes at home.

These lessons reshaped nearly every part of her family’s daily life.

Clementine’s family now drinks safe, filtered water. They built a hygienic latrine, a handwashing station, a dish drying rack, a clothesline and a kitchen garden – small improvements that have created a cleaner, healthier home for their children.

But the Community Hygiene Club didn’t stop with health.

Members also had the opportunity to join a World Relief Savings for Life group where they learned the importance of setting aside small amounts of money that could eventually be invested back into their families. Clementine embraced the habit. Over time, those savings helped her family purchase chickens that provide eggs for their children, goats and pigs – valuable assets that strengthen their nutrition, generate income and provide greater financial security for the future.

Looking back, Clementine sees just how much has changed.

“I sincerely thank 20 Liters and World Relief, for introducing Community Hygiene Clubs and teaching us how to improve both our health and our livelihoods. This program has transformed not only my family’s hygiene, nutrition and economic wellbeing, but also the lives of many families in our community.”

For Clementine, the greatest change is visible in the everyday moments that matter most. “Today, we drink safe water, our children are healthier and we have built valuable assets through saving.”

The transformation hasn’t stopped with her own family. She is now a trusted voice in her community, sharing what she’s learned with neighbors and encouraging other families to adopt healthy habits, improve nutrition and save for the future.

“I am proud to share what I have learned with others so they too can improve their lives.”

Lasting change rarely comes from a single solution. Safe drinking water, practical health education, encouragement from neighbors and the opportunity to build financial security have worked together to help one family move from surviving to planning for the future. Through Community Hygiene Clubs, World Relief and 20 Liters are helping families build healthier homes, stronger livelihoods and communities where hope continues to spread from one household to the next.

The post More than Clean Water: How One Mother Built a Healthier, More Secure Future appeared first on 20 Liters.

Kagashi Primary School serves more than 1,500 nursery and primary students. Like many rural schools, it faced a challenge that was easy to overlook but impossible to ignore: unsafe drinking water. Staff relied on untreated water stored in a tank. While the water met immediate needs, it often carried harmful bacteria and parasites. Students regularly fell ill with waterborne diseases, including intestinal worms, which led to frequent absences, fatigue and difficulty keeping up in class.

Teachers tried their best, but educating became difficult when children were sick.

A solution came through a partnership between 20 Liters and World Relief. Together, they provided water filters and 20‑liter white jerrycans with taps for every classroom. These simple, practical tools now ensure that students have reliable access to clean, safe drinking water throughout the school day.

“The impact of this support has been remarkable,” shares school representative Leandre Nkulikiyeyezu. “Students are healthier and no longer suffer from the frequent illnesses that once disrupted their education. Attendance has increased, and students can concentrate better in class.”

As Leandre explains, the benefits extend beyond health. With fewer sick days and improved focus, academic performance has improved. Teachers now see more consistent attendance and their classrooms are more energetic environments for learning.

School leaders express deep gratitude to 20 Liters and World Relief, noting that clean water has become a foundation for student success. At Kagashi Primary School, something as basic as a water filter is making an extraordinary difference by giving children a stronger foundation to learn, grow and thrive.

The post When Clean Water Flows, Learning Grows appeared first on 20 Liters.

Nyange Parish Church, located in Rwanda’s Mugesera Sector, serves as the spiritual home for more than 4,000 members. For many people in the surrounding community, the church offers more than worship, it is a gathering place, a source of support and a trusted community anchor.

For years, however, the parish faced a serious challenge. The church lacked the resources to install a rainwater harvesting system that could safely collect water from its roof. Without this infrastructure, rainwater damaged the church building and drained away unused, while nearby families walked long distances to fetch water for daily needs.

Because of a partnership between World Relief and 20 Liters, this challenge was addressed. Together, they provided Nyange Parish Church with a 10,000‑liter rainwater harvesting system. This single investment addressed multiple needs at once including protecting the church building, meeting national infrastructure standards and expanding access to clean water for the wider community.

“We did not have the means to install a rainwater harvesting system,” explains Fr. Mudenge Vedaste, the parish priest. “Today, this tank is not only protecting our church structure but also serving our community with water. People no longer need to walk long distances just to find water.”

A Rain Water Harvest System is now a requirement for Rwandan churches.

The impact has been immediate and far-reaching. During a time when many churches in Rwanda closed due to unmet infrastructure requirements, Nyange Parish Church remained open and operational. The new system allowed the parish to meet required standards while continuing to serve both congregants and neighbors.

Today, harvested rainwater supports daily church operations, including cleaning the building and providing handwashing stations for worshippers. More importantly, the church makes this water freely available to people living nearby. Families now collect water close to home, saving time and energy while improving hygiene and overall well-being.

Clean water strengthens communities.

This initiative has transformed Nyange Parish Church into more than a place of worship. It stands as a source of stability, dignity and practical support. It demonstrates how access to clean water can strengthen both institutions and entire communities. Through the partnership between 20 Liters and World Relief, the church continues to nurture both spiritual and physical life, one drop at a time.

The post Water Brings Life to Nyange Parish Church appeared first on 20 Liters.

In rural Rwanda, access to clean water is only the beginning of what families need to live healthy, dignified lives. Through its WASH program, 20 Liters in partnership with World Relief understands that lasting change also depends on hygiene education, sanitation and strong community leadership. That belief comes to life through Community Hygiene Clubs — grassroots groups empowering neighbors to care for one another and transform their communities from within.

Every month in Mugesera Sector, more than 2,000 volunteers gather across 33 Community Hygiene Clubs, meeting regularly to learn, share and act. Going beyond education, these clubs mobilize communities to improve sanitation facilities, adopt healthy practices and ensure that no family is left behind.

For Marie Goreth and Anastase, an elderly couple caring for their two young grandchildren, this community-led approach changed their daily reality. The family lives in a small village in Mugesera Sector, where for years they faced the deeply personal challenge of not having a functional latrine. Their old toilet had collapsed, and while they managed to dig a new pit, they lacked the materials and strength to rebuild it properly. With no alternative, they were forced to rely on their neighbors whenever nature called.

“It was shameful for us and inconvenient for them,” Marie Goreth shared. “We had no choice but to ask to use other people’s toilets.”

The power of community.

This daily struggle stripped the family of privacy and dignity until members of a local hygiene club stepped in.

Abadahigwa Ku Isuku, which means Champions of Hygiene, is one of the Community Hygiene Clubs trained by World Relief using the Community-Based Environmental Health Promotion (CBEHP) model and supported by 20 Liters’ WASH project. Meeting twice a month, the club combines education with practical action. Members discuss hygiene, sanitation and nutrition and then work together to put solutions into place for the most vulnerable households.

When the club learned about Marie Goreth and Anastase’s situation, they acted.

Freedom and dignity restored.

“They helped us build a toilet when we could not do it ourselves,” Marie Goreth said. “Our family of four did not have a toilet and depended on neighbors. This club restored our dignity. I am deeply grateful.”

The new toilet was carefully constructed on a solid foundation, complete with a door, roof and a tippy tap for handwashing. For the first time in years, the family had a safe, private and hygienic space of their own.

The post Champions of Hygiene Bring Health and Hope to Rural Rwanda appeared first on 20 Liters.

Homes are modest, families rely on the land and access to basic sanitation can determine whether children stay healthy or fall ill. It is here that Sylvie, a 55-year-old widow, is raising her four children.

Sylvie lives with a hearing impairment, a challenge that has often made daily life more difficult. Yet those who know her speak first of her strength. For years, she worked tirelessly to care for her family, but one persistent struggle weighed heavily on her household: unsafe sanitation.

The family’s old toilet was in dangerously poor condition. It was unhygienic and unsafe, putting Sylvie’s children at constant risk of disease. With limited income and few options, she had no way to fix it on her own.

That changed when Abadahigwa Ku Isuku a Community Hygiene Club whose name means Champions of Hygiene reached her village.

“The hygiene club helped us achieve cleanliness and dignity,” Sylvie shared. “The Hygiene Club supported me in building a proper toilet. My old one was in very bad condition, but now I have a clean and safe facility with two rooms — one for the toilet and another for the bathroom.”

Together, the club members helped make bricks, install roofing and complete construction. Sylvie contributed what she could by digging the pit herself which stands as a strong example of partnership and agency.

The transformational interventions did not stop with the toilet.

Sylvie’s family also received a handwashing station, a dish drying rack and training in improved hygiene and nutrition practices. She is now preparing a kitchen garden to grow vegetables, helping her family eat more nutritious meals while reducing food costs.

The dish drying rack, in particular, has made a noticeable difference.

“This rack helps me dry utensils properly, keeping them free from water,” Sylvie explained. “Using dry dishes prevents diseases caused by poor hygiene, such as intestinal worms and diarrhea, especially among my young children.”

With new knowledge and practical tools, Sylvie says her habits around handwashing, sanitation and food preparation have changed dramatically. The result is a healthier home and greater peace of mind.

Transformation doesn’t always come from large-scale infrastructure or government engagement. Sometimes, it begins with neighbors coming together extending compassion and sharing knowledge and labor. Through community-led action and the support of partners like World Relief and 20 Liters, families in rural Rwanda are not only gaining access to clean water and sanitation, but they are also building healthier, more resilient futures.

The post Restoring Dignity One Home at a Time appeared first on 20 Liters.

The Gira Isuku Club — roughly translates to Keep It Clean — is one of 28 Community Hygiene Clubs in Kinoni. The group officially launched on June 24, 2025, and formed after members completed the Community-Based Environmental Health Promotion (CBEHP) Program training, organized by World Relief Rwanda with support from 20 Liters. Today, the club is made up of 30 dedicated members committed to improving hygiene, nutrition and overall well-being, not just for themselves, but for their entire community.

Meeting twice a month, the club blends learning with action. Members discuss best practices in sanitation, food safety and nutrition, then turn those lessons into practical solutions. One of their most impactful initiatives is a community savings plan, where eachmember contributes $2 at every meeting. While modest, these consistent contributions have been pooled into a fund that is driving meaningful, life-changing support.

Through their shared savings, the Gira Isuku Club has already achieved significant outcomes. Members have constructed 15 kitchen drying racks, helping families keep utensils clean and reduce food contamination. Tippy taps and kitchen gardens have been installed at every member’s home, reinforcing daily hygiene habits and improving access to nutritious foods. Each household has also received egg-laying chickens, boosting both nutrition and income.

The club’s generosity extends beyond its own members. Using this fund, the group has purchased three sheep, five casserole pans for communal use and supported two vulnerable families in constructing safe latrines — restoring dignity and improving sanitation for those most in need.

Nutrition remains at the heart of the club’s mission. During the last quarter, Gira Isuku organized a nutrition-focused community event, providing balanced meals to 10 young children and two pregnant women. The meals included eggs, bananas, vegetables, carbohydrates and milk — simple ingredients with powerful health benefits. To ensure the impact would last, each club member received a tamarillo fruit tree at the event, promoting sustainable nutrition for years to come.Club members credit their success to the training, encouragement and ongoing support from World Relief Rwanda and the 20 Liters WASH project. Beyond skills and resources, the program has strengthened unity among members and helped reduce malnutrition among children under five and pregnant women in their community.

Through Gira Isuku, the people of Kinoni Sector are proving that when communities come together in sharing knowledge, pooling resources and caring for one another, they can create lasting change. What started as a journey to clean water has turned into a movement of collective action that is truly transforming lives.

The post Collective Contribution Leads to Lasting Change appeared first on 20 Liters.

In the rural hills of Rwanda’s Ngoma District, 61-year-old Pastor Alexandre leads SDA Murwa Church alongside his wife, Eliane, a dedicated deacon. For years, their congregation faced a costly challenge: water. From cleaning the church and washing garments to small on-site construction projects, water was essential – but a challenging expense.

“We used to spend 270,000 Rwandan Francs ($187 USD) every year just to buy water,” Pastor Alexandre explains. “We dreamed of installing a water tank, but the cost was always beyond our reach.”

The solution

Their prayers for a water solution were answered when the church received a 10,000-liter Rainwater Harvesting System (RWHS) – thanks to the support of World Relief and 20 Liters.

“This system has been a crucial resource for the church,” Alexandre says. The harvested rainwater is now used for cleaning the church and to support small projects. One of the most unexpected outcomes has been financial. The money once used on water is now helping people in real and tangible ways.

The impact

As the church no longer needs to pay for water, these savings have been used to cover school fees for two students, provide school supplies for 10 children and cover medical insurance for 33 people. The impact is reaching beyond the church walls and into their community.

Before the rainwater system was installed, community members had to walk an hour round-trip to collect water from Sake Lake – a source that was often unsafe. Now, families living nearby can fill their containers directly from the church’s tank. With access to clean water close to home, people are saving time and energy – resources they’re now using to improve their incomes and livelihoods.

To ensure fair access, the church appointed a deacon to manage water distribution. He opens the tap daily from 11:00 a.m. till 6:00 p.m. and receives a small monthly stipend for his service.

The church’s generosity hasn’t gone unnoticed. Its relationship with the surrounding community has grown stronger, and seven new members have joined the congregation – moved by the simple, powerful act of offering “a cup of cold water in Jesus’ name.”

“We are truly grateful to World Relief and the 20 Liters initiative,” Alexandre says. “The training, the water filters, the support – it has all made a difference. We raise our hands in appreciation. May God bless them abundantly.”

***Added note: today in Rwanda, a church must have a rain water harvest system or other source of clean water on site in order to stay open. Your support of 20 Liters helps keep churches open and active in their community.

The post How Rainwater is Fueling Hope and Helping a Church Serve Their Community appeared first on 20 Liters.

Immaculate is a devoted member of the Catholic Church RCC Gitare and remembers when the church’s focus was solely spiritual. “Before World Relief came to our community,” she recalls, “our church focused mainly on spiritual matters. There were no initiatives to support the poor or to promote social and economic development.”

That began to change when World Relief began partnering with her church. One of the most impactful moments for her family came when they received a household water filter from 20 Liters.

“For years, we drank untreated water straight from Lake Burera,” Immaculate says. “I tried boiling it when I could, but we had limited access to firewood or charcoal making that difficult. My husband needed clean water for his health condition, but we simply could not manage. The children in our neighborhood – including my own grandchildren – were often sick with diarrhea. It was heartbreaking.”

The household water filter changed everything.

With access to clean water every day, Immaculate shares, “My husband’s health has improved. Our children and neighbors are no longer sick. We barely visit the health center anymore.”

But the transformation didn’t stop there.

Through her church, Immaculate joined a Savings for Life group – World Relief’s program that equips individuals with the tools and knowledge to build savings and invest in their future. With her first round of savings, she bought a pig. The manure boosted soil fertility and improved her crops. With her next round, she started a small business selling amamera (soaked sorghum), increasing her income and improving her family’s quality of life.

Immaculate is deeply thankful to her church, World Relief and 20 Liters for their commitment to serving her community in both word and deed.

“You have changed not only my life, but the lives of many others. I am forever grateful for this life-changing experience,” Immaculate concludes with deep gratitude.

The post Immaculate’s Story: From Survival to Stability appeared first on 20 Liters.

This was the daily reality for Athanasie, a 60-year-old widow living in Ngoma, Rwanda.

For years, Athanasie lived without a toilet of her own. The impact on her health and dignity was profound.

“The toilet I had collapsed because it was very old,” she recalls. “Every time I needed one, I had to ask my neighbors to use theirs. It made me feel embarrassed, and I knew it was inconvenient for them too.”

What may seem like a small inconvenience was, for Athanasie, a source of ongoing shame and a serious threat to her health.

Athanasie’s cries of despair were answered when the Twitezimbere Community Hygiene Club (CHC) – whose name means “Let’s Develop Ourselves” – stepped in. Drawing on training from World Relief and 20 Liters’ community health programs, the club members mobilized quickly to meet her need.

“The hygiene club helped me in such an incredible way,” Athanasie says. “They built me a brand-new toilet with a four-meter pit. They reinforced it with strong wood, roofed it with iron sheets, and even added a door and a tippy tap. Now I can use my own toilet without shame or fear of being seen by passersby – and I even wash my hands afterwards. To me, it feels like God worked through them because I never thought this would happen for me!”

The entire project cost just 120,000 Rwandan francs ($83 USD) – a modest investment with a life-changing impact. But the club’s support didn’t stop there.

“They also built me a dish-drying rack,” Athanasie adds. “Before, I would just place my dishes on a sack after washing them. That wasn’t hygienic. Now I can dry them properly, which helps keep my utensils clean and safe to use.”

The club is also helping her start a kitchen garden, providing access to fresh produce and improving her diet while lowering food costs. They have even made plans to plaster her new toilet so it will be more durable and also support improvements to her home for greater cleanliness and comfort.

Where Athanasie once felt isolated, she now feels a deep sense of belonging. Though she had never been part of a hygiene club before, she has now joined the CHC herself to help transform her community. With quiet pride she shares, “I want to contribute my little strength as an elderly woman to help others experience positive changes in their lives.”

Today, Athanasie’s story is no longer one of shame and hardship, but one of dignity, health and hope – all made possible through the compassion and commitment of 20 Liters and her community. Together, they are living out the truth that when people are equipped and mobilized, families flourish and communities thrive.

The post Restoring Dignity: Athanasie’s Journey to Health and Hope appeared first on 20 Liters.