On a warm Wednesday morning in Antique, Philippines, 10-year-old Maybelle begins her day the way she always dreamed she could - with a twist of a faucet.
A stream of cool water splashes out, catching her by surprise. She giggles, wide-eyed. What used to be a distant luxury is now part of her everyday life.
Just a year ago, this simple moment wasn’t possible. In her community of 450 households, only 42 had access to a direct water supply - a mere 9%. Like many others, Maybelle and her family had no choice but to fetch water from a river nearly a kilometre away.
“There were days when I would just use a damp towel to freshen up, trying to conserve water,” Maybelle recalls.
Each morning, she and her mother made the tiring trip down a steep path to the river, carrying heavy water containers back and forth just to fill barrels at home.
“Some days I would go to class late because we were still fetching water,” she says.
On days when rain came, they turned to collecting water from their roof. But when the path to the river became dangerously slippery, even that wasn’t always enough. In those times, they relied on neighbours with electric motor pumps - a luxury not all could afford.
“It’s a common resort for families with low income. Others would rely on their neighbors who own electric motor pumps that bring water directly from the river,” says Vicente, the community chairperson.
Water wasn’t just a struggle for families. It was a challenge for the land, too. During the dry season, the lack of water took a toll on livelihoods. Crops withered. Yields dropped. Income vanished.
“There is an impact of scarcity of water sources on their livelihood, particularly in terms of growing food. With limited and difficulty accessing water sources, families struggle to adequately water their crops, resulting in decrease to no yields at all, that result in income losses,” Vicente explains.
Recognising these urgent needs, World Vision worked hand in hand with the community to design a solution that truly fit. Through community consultations and collaboration with local government units, a water system project was planned - one that would consider the village’s terrain, water sources, and population.
When the system was completed, the change was immediate. Maybelle no longer had to miss school to help fetch water. Her mother had time for other chores. The community began to breathe a little easier.
World Vision’s water system didn’t just bring convenience - it sparked opportunity. Families could now water their backyard vegetable gardens more easily and earn extra income from selling produce at the market.
“World Vision’s water system project lightened the burden of having to restrict our income because of the difficulty in getting water,” Vicente says.
From a single twist of the tap, Maybelle’s days look different now.
Cleaner. Brighter. Filled with possibility.
What once took an hour and a steep walk now takes only seconds - a drop of hope, right at her doorstep.
