MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN KALITAR
Kalitar, a farming community in the Godavari Municipality in Nepal, faced daily struggles due to a lack of clean, reliable water. Women and children spent hours collecting water from distant, sources that were often contaminated—impacting health, education, and livelihoods.
A previously installed community tap couldn’t meet demand, leading to shortages and tensions among neighbouring communities. But after WaterAid worked with the community to install taps in every household, everything has changed.
• Now, all 148 households in the Kalitar ward have their own taps with clean water.
• The community has formed a Water Users’ Committee to maintain and manage their supply.
• The impact is life-changing: better health, increased school attendance, stronger community ties, and thriving farms.
This is exactly the kind of impact that Belu helps to deliver by giving 100% of our net profits to WaterAid. The funding we provide is unrestricted, meaning that WaterAid, as experts, can choose where it is best spent.
Projects like this one, working with the community in Kalitar, are about more than just water – they’re about about dignity, opportunity, and a hopeful future.
In collaboration with photographer Vivek Vadoliya, the WaterAid team have captured how people in Kalitar have changed their lives and embraced the new opportunities brought about through clean water.
PADAM KHADKA
Padam, a former military serviceman, is dedicated to helping his community thrive. As Chair of the Water Users’ Committee, he plays a vital role in ensuring Kalitar’s new water system remains sustainable for generations to come.
Living in Kalitar with his wife, Durga, Padam cherishes time with his grandchildren and takes great pride in the positive transformation clean water has brought to their lives. With reliable clean water, the community is healthier, stronger, and more united than ever.
“As the Chair of the Water Users’ Committee, I am confident in the sustainability of the structures and the water facility here for the next 30-40 years. We do not have anything to worry about.” – Padam
SARITA KHADKA
When Sarita moved to Kalitar at age 15, she faced daily struggles due to an unreliable water supply. Carrying heavy baskets to fetch water left little time for anything else.
When the family turned on the household tap for the first time, Sarita felt excited with how quickly a bucket filled with water. She now grows ginger, green beans, corn, pumpkins, soya beans, and green chilies – boosting her income so she can pay for her children’s education and save for the future.
“I hope my children never let go of their dreams for anybody.” – Sarita
DEVI
Twenty-year-old Devi has big dreams—she plans to study cookery abroad. Growing up in Kalitar, she and other children had to collect water before school, often making them late. The local tap didn’t provide enough, forcing families to fetch water from a tea shop.
Now, every household has a tap, and Devi has seen the difference:
“The children used to have to go and collect water before school. Now that time is saved, and they can go on time. So many things have become better.”
With a reliable water supply, farming has flourished, more vegetables grow, and Devi can focus on what she loves—cooking.
“We need water for everything in cooking—to wash vegetables, clean dishes, and bring taste to the food we prepare.” Devi
SHARMILA TAMANG
Sharmila lives in Kalitar with her husband and son, raising goats and managing her household. Before she had clean water at home, she had to collect water from a neighbour’s house, which wasn’t always easy.
Everything changed the moment she turned on her household tap for the first time.
“I was very happy when I turned my tap on for the first time… I have sufficient water to wash my clothes, clean the house, keep the bathroom and toilets clean, and for cooking. For everything, I have more water now.”
With clean water, Sharmila now has freedom and flexibility to care for her family, grow vegetables, and manage daily tasks with ease. She’s seen a huge improvement in health across Kalitar.
“After installing the taps, which have purified water, there is no diarrhoea or sickness.”
