16/06/2026
On this Day of the African Child 2026, we present a message from James Tebyasa, our Senior Program Design Specialist for WASH. As a formerly sponsored child under our program, James explains why he often says, "Every child deserves to spend their childhood chasing dreams, not chasing water.”
"As we commemorate the Day of
The African Child, I am reminded
of my own childhood journey in a
community where access to safe water
was a daily struggle. Like many African
children, I often walked long distances
to a spring well, along lonely paths that
fi lled me with fear and uncertainty. At
times, I endured ridicule from others,
experiences that affected me deeply
as a child. Yet what I feared most was
not what I could see. The water I carried
home looked clean, but it was not. Only
years later did I understand that many
of the typhoid infections, intestinal
illnesses, and skin rashes that affected
our family were linked to the very water
we struggled to access.
Those experiences shaped my passion
for Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene
(WASH) and continue to inspire my
commitment to ensuring that children
today have opportunities that many of
us lacked. As I often say, “Every child
deserves to spend their childhood chasing
dreams, not chasing water.”
Today, I serve as a Senior Program Design
Specialist- WASH with Compassion
International, supporting water access,
sanitation, and hygiene programming
across 28 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin
America, and the Caribbean. Through this
role, I have witnessed the transformative
power of safe water and improved
sanitation in the lives of children and
their families, including restoring dignity
and creating opportunities for children
to thrive.
As we celebrate the Day of the
African Child, let us remember that every
child deserves a healthy environment
in which to learn, grow, and fulfill their
God-given potential. Investing in WASH
is not simply about infrastructure; it is
about protecting childhood, unlocking
potential, and securing a brighter future
for generations to come. WASH is not just
a need; it is one of the fastest ways to
unlock impact at scale.
