There are moments when an impact report is more than a collection of numbers. Moments when statistics suddenly get faces and it becomes clear what water really means. Precisely such a moment was when we read the current report of our WASH'n'soul project in Lusaka.

And because water always starts with people for us, we would like to share this moment.

Where it all began

The first phase of WASH'n'soul ran from February 2021 to January 2024 in 20 schools in four peri-urban areas around Lusaka. The results were clear. The need is great. The approach works. So we kept going.

Phase two was implemented at 10 schools, 8 government schools and 2 community schools. The goal was not only better infrastructure, but long-term responsibility.

Clean water does little use if nobody knows how to repair a leak. Or how maintenance is budgeted. Sustainability arises where knowledge remains.

Three pillars for long-term impact

WASH'n'soul is based on three building blocks that are only strong when combined.

1. Infrastructure

More water. More toilets. Safer.
Sanitation facilities were expanded, shower areas added, anti-vandalism mechanisms incorporated, and chlorination systems installed. The foundation is set.

2. Capacity Building

Schools were empowered to take responsibility.

• Establishment and training of WASH committees

• Two-week plumbing training for caretakers

• 139 key actors trained in planning, budgeting, and operation

For comparison: At the start of the project, there were 14. Today, schools no longer have to wait for external help to arrive. They take action themselves.

3. Hygiene Education

• Over 7,000 students were actively involved.

• Football4WASH, art competitions, debating clubs, and menstrual hygiene study circles made knowledge experiential. Not as frontal teaching, but as a movement.

• Students became ambassadors within their families and communities.

When impact gets a face

Emmanuel is 10 years old and attends the Shuko Community School. He is part of the Football4WASH Club.

“I used to only wash my hands with water. Now I know that soap kills germs. That is why I always make sure to use soap and remind others to do so.”

His mother Mary Mwiya reports on the change:

“Since Emmanuel joined the WASH Club, a lot has changed. He pays more attention to hygiene and always reminds us to wash our hands.”

What begins at school continues to make an impact at home. Knowledge flows.

The figures at a glance

• 25,515 students and teachers have access to safe drinking water

• 27,194 people benefit from improved sanitation infrastructure

• 7,649 learners actively participated in hygiene education programs

• 10 schools in Lusaka were reached

• 139 key actors were trained

Particularly impressive:
Water consumption per student rose from 2.7 liters to 10 liters per school day.

The toilet ratio improved significantly
For boys from 1 to 116 to 1 to 58
For girls from 1 to 84 to 1 to 49

Structures are changing. Everyday life is changing. Culture is changing.

“The project has changed how we see WASH.”

Jimmy Simutanyi, headteacher of Kamanga Primary School, sums it up clearly. It is not just about facilities. It is about systems, planning, and shared responsibility. Monica Lungu, caretaker at Chakunkula Combined School, says:

“We used to wait for someone from the outside to come. Today, we can take action ourselves.”

Self-efficacy is not a key performance indicator. But it is the core of sustainable change.

What partnership means

This project is the result of true collaboration.

BORDA Zambia brings technical expertise and local roots.
soulbottles • products with soul GmbH stands for the stance that water is not a product, but a right.

And we at Viva con Agua have believed since 2006 that water connects. That joint action can achieve more than individual measures.

WASH'n'soul shows what is possible when infrastructure, knowledge, and attitude come together.

Making water possible

Projects like this are created through support. If you would like to contribute to ensuring that schools in Lusaka and in other international projects receive secure access to water, sanitation, and hygiene, then support our work with a donation or become an Aguanista. Water works. And it keeps working when we make it possible together.