Girls from the Georges Malaika School for Girls, in Kalebuka, Democratic Republic of the Congo, harvested the first papayas of the season earlier this month!

Voss Foundation’s Women Helping Women 2010 initiative funded the construction of a well on the school’s campus. As the only source of water for the school, the well serves the kitchen, toilets, sinks, and health facilities. The water also irrigates the gardens, allowing the school to grow fruits and vegetables, like the papayas above and carrots, to supplement the students’ diet and provide healthy meals during school.

Without access to water, the school would not be able to operate – or exist at all: the well had to be drilled during the construction of the school so that the workers could use the water to make the concrete bricks of the walls!

Irrigation is yet another example of the Voss Foundation Ripple Effect in action: helping students stay healthy and in school and improving local agricultural endeavors – all from a bunch of produce and clean water!

Learn more about how Voss Foundation has helped the girls at the GMF School and their families, as well as the connection between Water and Hunger.