When clean water began flowing into the taps of Ecole Primaire Cyeru in Kicukiro District, Masaka Sector, everything changed. For years, the school struggled with water shortages that led to absenteeism, especially among girls. ALSO READ: Water For People celebrates access to clean water for over one million people in Rwanda “In the early 2000s, water scarcity was one of the biggest challenges,” recalls Nicolas Nyirigira, Head teacher of Ecole Primaire Cyeru. “Many pupils, particularly girls, would skip school because they had to fetch water from long distances or use unsafe sources like the nearby river known as Nyabarongo. Some even brought rainwater or dirty water from home just to get through the day.” The school once fetched water using bicycles from faraway sources for cooking, cleaning, and drinking. But that is now history. “Thanks to Water For People, we finally have clean and reliable water. It took a 3.5-kilometre pipeline to connect the school to safe water,” Nyirigira noted. Today, 672 students and their families benefit from this system, and we also have access to WASAC water and rainwater harvesting tanks, ensuring water availability throughout the year.” The change has been particularly transformative for girls, who now have access to a private, well-equipped girls’ room, whereas before, many struggled to manage their menstrual hygiene with ease and dignity, often missing classes or returning home early. ALSO READ: Safe room for girls to be mandatory for schools “Now, they can manage their hygiene comfortably and confidently, and it has boosted attendance and improved academic performance,” he explained. The school also received handwashing stations, filters, and rainwater harvesting systems that have reduced the spread of waterborne diseases. “Children used to fall sick often due to unclean water; now we notice fewer absences, better hygiene, and improved health,” Nyirigira added. Thanks to Water For People, the school’s infrastructure now includes two large storage tanks, one with a ten-cubic-metre capacity, ensuring a consistent supply even during the dry season. “This partnership has transformed our school and revived our students’ hope,” he noted. The transformation at Ecole Primaire Cyeru reflects the broader change taking place across Kicukiro District, where Water For People has partnered with local authorities since 2009 to implement its ‘Everyone Forever’ model. The approach aims to ensure that every household, school, and health facility has lasting access to clean water and sanitation services that stand the test of time. ALSO READ: Water For People lays out new plan to bring clean water to 1.5 million people According to Eugene Dusingizumuremyi, Country Director of Water For People Rwanda, the organisation began its WASH interventions in Kicukiro, intending to achieve its ‘Everyone Forever’ vision, and by 2019, the district became the first in Rwanda to reach the milestone of “Everyone”. “By 2025, Kicukiro District achieved 'Forever', meaning locally managed, financially sustainable, and resilient systems are now in place to serve future generations,” he said. Dusingizumuremyi noted that the results speak for themselves, whereby over the years, access to public water taps increased from 54 percent in 2013 to more than 96 percent in 2025. Household water access has risen from below half the population to nearly full coverage, and sanitation services have reached 100 per cent across the district. “This is what ‘Everyone Forever’ means in practice; it’s no longer a slogan but a reality,” he emphasised. He added that after the success in Kicukiro, Water For People is expanding to Nyamagabe District, applying the same sustainable approach already working in Rulindo, Gicumbi, Karongi, and Gisagara districts. ALSO READ: Rwanda needs $400m to meet water demand by 2050 Monique Huss, Deputy District Executive Administrator of Kicukiro, affirmed that the 16-year partnership changed the lives of residents. She explained that some sectors, such as Masaka and Kanombe, once faced water shortages, but today more than 100,000 people enjoy reliable access to water. “Clean water and sanitation are among our top priorities; we are committed to maintaining these infrastructures so that every resident has access to water within 50 to 100 metres of their homes,” Huss said. She noted that more than 24 schools have directly benefited from the project, and the district will continue to safeguard and maintain the achievements realised through this partnership. During the 16-year celebration of the partnership on October 17, Water For People also donated a vehicle and two motorcycles to the district to strengthen ongoing WASH supervision. “The car will help us sustain the monitoring and protection of water systems in all sectors,” Huss said, emphasising the importance of long-term sustainability. At the national level, the project aligns perfectly with Rwanda’s development vision. Gemma Maniraruta, Director General of Water and Sanitation at the Ministry of Infrastructure, commended Water For People’s role in advancing government efforts. “This partnership directly contributes to our national goal of ensuring every village has access to safe water by 2029. The project reaches schools, health centres, and communities, which aligns with our countrywide vision for universal water coverage,” Maniraruta said. She added that nationwide assessments are being conducted to identify villages most in need of water so that no one is left behind as the country works towards its 2029 target. The ‘Everyone Forever’ model represents a fundamental shift in the way water and sanitation services are delivered. Instead of focusing on short-term projects that fade when systems break down, Water For People builds long-term, community-managed, and financially sustainable solutions. ALSO READ: Gov’t targets full rural water access by 2030 as pipeline repairs accelerate “Too often, water projects focus on immediate access without considering maintenance, when wells or toilets break and no one can fix them, communities return to where they started. ‘Everyone Forever’ was designed to end that cycle,” added Dusingizumuremyi. Exit from Kicukiro After 16 years of partnership and transformative impact, Water For People has officially exited Kicukiro District, marking the successful completion of its ‘Everyone Forever’ model — a milestone that ensures all people in the district have sustainable access to safe water and sanitation services. Since 2009, Water For People has collaborated closely with the Government of Rwanda, Kicukiro District, the Water and Sanitation Corporation (WASAC), and community members to strengthen local systems and infrastructure, ensuring long-term service delivery. In 2019, Kicukiro achieved the ‘Everyone’ milestone, meaning every household, school, and health facility had access to reliable WASH services. In 2025, the district reached the ‘Forever’ milestone, confirming that those services are sustainable for generations to come. Over the 16-year period, Water For People supported the construction, expansion, and rehabilitation of water systems across nine sectors in Kicukiro — reaching more than 100,000 people. The organisation also improved WASH in schools by connecting 34 schools to water supply systems, constructing sanitation facilities, and establishing girls’ rooms and rainwater harvesting systems to ensure dignity and comfort for over 50,00 learners. The official exit ceremony, presided over by the Ministry of Infrastructure (MININFRA), brought together government representatives, WASAC, district officials, and partners to celebrate this milestone and reflect on lessons learned that will inform ongoing efforts to scale the ‘Everyone Forever’ approach across Rwanda. Even as Water For People exits Kicukiro, it will continue to collaborate with national stakeholders — including MININFRA, WASAC, and RURA — to strengthen water and sanitation systems, promote financial sustainability, and ensure resilient WASH services in Rulindo, Gicumbi, Karongi, Gisagara, and Nyamagabe. Across Rwanda, since 2009, in collaboration with WASAC and districts, Water For People has provided access to water services over 1,5 million, with a total investment of over $54 million. Globally, Water For People operates in Latin America, Asia, and Africa, reaching more than five million people across eleven districts in Africa alone. The organisation’s statistics show that one in four people lack access to safe drinking water, and nearly half of the world’s population does not have access to a decent toilet. Women and girls spend hundreds of millions of hours each day collecting water, and over one million deaths every year are linked to infections caused by unsafe water and poor hygiene. ALSO READ: End period stigma: better menstrual hygiene for rural Rwandan schoolgirls By addressing these challenges with lasting solutions, Water For People is restoring dignity, promoting equality, and keeping children, especially girls, in school.
