Damalie’s Story: Safe Water Protects Mothers and Babies

During the Christmas season, we celebrate the birth of one baby through whom hope entered the world. As we rejoice in the birth of Jesus, we remember that, like Jesus once was, babies are born daily into unclean environments without safe water.  Damalie lives in Ikonia, Uganda, where she works as a nurse and midwife at Ikonia Health Center. She has always had a heart for serving women and children.  “It was always my dream to nurse mothers,” Damalie said. “I would see mothers suffering, and I wanted to join [together with] them and support them. I thought that if at least I can be trained, I can serve these women until the challenges go away.”

However, Damalie watched as the challenging conditions in Ikonia caused illness and, in some cases, death for mothers and babies. She has seen firsthand the struggles that mothers have endured to give birth without safe water.  “Mothers were suffering,” Damalie said. “They came in labor, and we could not give them quality care. We had mothers with high rates of sepsis, but we had no water, so we had to discharge them.”  Thanks to the generosity of our partners, Water Mission brought safe water to those in desperate need in Ikonia. We completed the project in July 2021, serving nearly 6,000 people with safe water and establishing tap stands throughout the community and at local churches, schools, and the health clinic.

Our team also installed a women’s latrine at the clinic's maternity ward, specifically for new mothers. This addition, along with nearby access to safe water, has completely transformed the clinic’s ability to help new mothers. Mothers in Ikonia no longer have to fear giving birth without safe water to treat their infections or bathe their newborns. Damalie now has better resources to serve the women in her care. The generosity of friends like you has given mothers in Ikonia the opportunity for hope—for themselves and their children.

“Before [safe water], we were sick all the time, but now we can be healthy enough to work, be productive, and improve the community,” Damalie said.  Yet, mothers around the world are still giving birth in unsafe environments without access to safe water. By partnering with Water Mission this Christmas, you can provide lifesaving water and immeasurable hope to women and healthcare workers around the world.