In Burundi, water-borne illnesses are a leading cause of death
The danger comes from preventable diseases that are nearly nonexistent in the United States - cholera, dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid, and polio. According to the World Health Organization, the problem is further compounded by the lack of clean water in health care facilities: 38% of the lack an improved water source, and 35% lack water and soap for proper handwashing.
In 2010, Levis Bizindavyi, head of the health care center in the community of Rumuvu, Burundi, made a startling discovery. “Of about 100 people treated,” he said, “80 cases were caused by dirty water.”
Patrice Ndizeye, who heads the health care center in Horezo, came to a similar conclusion. “We would receive about 40 children a day with diarrhea or intestinal worms. More than 76% of these children had diseases caused by the lack of proper water,” he said.
In the face of these sobering statistics, the Gazelle Foundation set to work installing clean water systems in these communities. Clean water creates a foundation of good health, which has far-reaching consequences.
Photographs left to right: tap stand in front of Horezo Health Center, interior rooms at Nygihotora Health Center. Access to water at each tap stand is available to all people at no cost regardless of the person’s tribe or religion.
Healthy children spend more time attending school, which improves their life-long earning potential. Families who aren’t constantly caring for sick children have more time for consistent work and trade development, which can begin to reverse the cycle of poverty endemic to these regions of rural Burundi. Communities with Gazelle Foundation clean water systems report a significant improvement in overall health.
Photographs left to right: Tap stand at Horezo Primary School and Church and Rukina Catholic Church Mwungo Pentecost Church. The tap stands, like the one pictured here are strategically placed throughout the village within easy walking distance to schools, churches, community centers to maximize access points for residents.
Levis Bizindavyi has seen a dramatic reduction in water-borne illnesses with the completion of the Gazelle Foundation water project in his clinic: now, he says, “of 100 people examined, only 15 people have diseases caused by dirty water.”
In Horezo, Dr. Ndizeye has also noticed a decrease in the prevalence of water-borne illnesses in his clinic - from 76% down to 11%. Anecdotally, he says that parents are reporting fewer incidences of diarrhea and worms in their children. He estimates that clean water saves the lives of three children per month in this clinic alone.
Dr. Thomas Byrd is based in Texas and serves as a medical advisor for Cornerstone Clinic in Bukuye, Burundi. “The lack of clean water is the root cause of the bulk of disease there. What the Gazelle Foundation is doing in Africa is absolutely a game-changer,” he said. “My work as a physician would be unneeded if clean water were available.”
Tap stand at Kiriza church.
The power of clean water is transformative. It is the foundation on which healthy, productive, successful lives are built. More and more communities, clinics, churches, and schools are experiencing the live-changing benefits of clean water water, thanks to the work of the Gazelle Foundation and the vision of our founder, Gilbert Tuhabonye.
“The dream to transform a village became a reality,” he says. “The people are happy, they are hydrated, kids are happy, nobody’s attacking one another, they love one another. They share the water because the common resources brought by the Gazelle Foundation have transformed whole villages.”
Since 2006, the Gazelle Foundation has focused on bringing clean water and transformative change to Burundi one village at a time. As a small foundation with strong local support in Austin and grants from corporate sponsors and foundations, we have been able to fund the installation, on average, of five water systems a year. Due to the unique nature of the Foundation's structure and in-country partners, our cost to build water systems is lower than average. Working in a single, small country means it is easy to track the long-term impact. The Gazelle Foundation is a certified 501(c)3. To date, over 100,000 people have daily access to clean water because of the Gazelle Foundation.