The days begin early for 13-year-old Uzzaya Idris, who lives with her family in Gabarin, a village in northeast Nigeria's Bauchi state. She's up by 6 a.m. to fetch the water her family will use for drinking, cooking, bathing and washing clothes.
There's a water source closer to the village, but the water there is contaminated. Drinking it causes stomach aches and fevers. Cholera is endemic in Nigeria, and cases have risen dramatically in the past year.
The long trek to the nearest uncontaminated water supply falls to the girls and women of the village. "I fetch water once a day in the morning, but I have to walk a really long way to get it," she says.
Time spent collecting water is time away from school, denying girls a chance to build a better future.
"Fetching water has really affected my studies," she says. "Most of the time, by the time I get back, lessons have already started. And sometimes, by the time I get to school, it's already break time."
"If I didn't have to fetch water every morning, I would be on time to school. I would have time to visit my relatives and even some time for myself."
UNICEF is working with partners in Nigeria to build capacity and strengthen state-level water, sanitation and hygiene services in emergencies. In 2022, UNICEF plans to reach 1.6 million people in Nigeria with safe drinking water.
