Unlocking Opportunity in Airabet: How Income-Generating Loans Are Transforming Lives
In Airabet, Uganda, access to safe water has already reshaped daily life. With clean, reliable water close to home, families no longer spend hours walking long distances to collect it. Children are healthier, school attendance has risen, and women – who once carried the burden of water collection – now have time and energy for new opportunities.
Building on this progress, Just a Drop has introduced Income-Generating Loans to support families in taking the next step towards long-term stability. Forty participants from Airabet Primary School and the local health centre have received small loans, alongside comprehensive training in bookkeeping, marketing, savings, and financial management. The goal is simple: to give community members, especially women, the tools to build sustainable livelihoods and shape a more secure future.
The impact is already clear. Speaking in the film, Grace, a member of the Airabet Primary School Water Committee, reflects on the difference that safe water and opportunity have made:
“Before, life was very hard. We walked two to three kilometres for water, and it took so much of our time. Now things are smooth. We are healthy, our children are clean, and we are happy.”
With her first loan, Grace bought seeds and cultivated her land. The harvest allowed her to pay school fees, cover household needs, and continue building her business—all while repaying her loan in full.
“I planned for the money carefully. I paid my children’s school fees… now I have no balance owed. We are feeling free.”
Stories like Grace’s are emerging across Airabet. Participants have launched small enterprises—from poultry rearing to liquid soap making and market gardening—all contributing to stronger household incomes and a more resilient community. Every borrower also makes a small monthly contribution to the maintenance of the community borehole, ensuring water access remains sustainable for years to come.
By combining safe water with economic opportunity, the programme is helping families move out of hardship, empowering women to lead, and supporting communities to flourish. This work directly advances the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 5: achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls.
To see the impact for yourself, watch the film below.
To learn how you can support projects like this, visit our Partner page – or head to Donate to help us bring opportunity, dignity, and safe water to more communities around the world.