In African villages, water collection remains a lifelong burden

In villages without running water or rain-harvesting tanks, the journey can take hours, navigating steep paths and carrying heavy jerry cans back uphill.

As communities age, the burden is increasingly falling on older women, many widowed and living alone, who continue the demanding treks despite fading strength.

The routine repeats each morning, a rhythm of necessity that shapes life across the continent, where access to clean, reliable water remains scarce and the effort to fetch it relentless.