Field staff survey 3 households at every village visit, gathering information about the number of cases of diarrhoea, eye and skin infections during the last 7 days.

We typically see reductions of 80% in waterborne diseases after our support and families tell us all the time what being healthier means to them, namely children have more time and energy for school and parents are free to farm and provide for their families.

In order to ensure the new well keeps supplying safe water, we train everyone in the village in basic maintenance. Communities contribute to a savings fund for more serious repairs and spare parts.

We continue to monitor health and water point functionality until we are confident that this is no longer needed. Each year we target a number of past villages to check the water point is still functioning.

A recent follow-up study of 530 villages and schools found that 98% of pumps were functioning. We can now target the other 2% for repair.

Toilets and hand-washing are key to stopping the spread of waterborne diseases. As part of our monitoring system, field staff check the number and use of sanitation facilities in the communities and schools we support. We hope that the new reinforced latrine model will withstand the annual floods so that households enjoy uninterrupted use and health improves.

We continue our support after the well is completed through follow-up visits to communities and schools to monitor progress and identify any needs for additional training or support.

Field staff collect a wealth of data on mobile phones, and upload this to our database, allowing us to track the changes in the schools and villages we support. This data includes household health, pump functionality, number and use of sanitation facilities, and much more to demonstrate how people’s lives are changing.