If she did not wake up by 5:00 a.m., her household risked going without water. Some days, she had to choose between going to the farm, cooking for her children, or spending long hours at the borehole. When the borehole broke down, as it often did because of overuse, the situation became even harder. Anger would walk for about three hours to neighbouring communities in search of water, returning exhausted from a journey that took much of the day. For a mother caring for children and trying to support her household, this meant lost time, lost energy, and lost opportunity.

Serving as the only water source in the community, the borehole in Alang was under immense pressure. Constant use led to frequent breakdowns, reduced water levels, and long queues that often caused tension among families waiting for their turn. With demand far exceeding supply, water was often insufficient, forcing households to organise their daily lives around its scarcity.

That changed in April 2026, when ForAfrika, in partnership with the German Federal Foreign Office through Humedica International, upgraded the existing borehole into a water yard. The intervention forms part of a wider multi-sector project implemented by ForAfrika in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, covering Aweil East and Aweil West Counties. The project supports communities through improved access to safe and clean water services, health and nutrition interventions and sanitation facilities.

Today, the upgraded water yard serves more than 1,362 people in Alang, in addition to users from nearby villages. With eight taps available, several households can collect water at the same time, reducing queues and saving families’ valuable time. The water is treated, making it safe for drinking and suitable for household and kitchen gardens managed by mother-to-mother support groups around the water yard.

Anger now lives only a few minutes from the water yard. What once consumed hours of her day now takes less than minutes for a round trip. She can wake up, prepare food for her children, complete household tasks, and still have time to go to the farm. The availability of water closer to home has also given her greater flexibility and peace of mind, allowing her to access water at different times of the day without the fear of long queues or uncertainty.

Anger describes the upgraded water yard as a “blessing and joy” for her household and the wider community. The impact is also being felt beyond Anger’s community, for neighbouring communities with limited access to adequate water, the Alang water yard has become an important shared resource. Families who once struggled with unreliable water sources now have access to a safer and more efficient system.

Recognising the value of the investment, the community has committed to keeping the water yard clean and working on minor maintenance when needed. This sense of ownership is critical. When communities see water infrastructure as their own, they protect it, sustain it, and ensure that it continues to serve for years to come.

By upgrading a single overstretched borehole into a functional water yard, ForAfrika has reduced pressure on women and girls, improved household access to safe water, supported food production through kitchen gardens, and strengthened community resilience.