Turning Water, Health, and Hope into Africa's Future

Don Divin Niyitunga presenting at Future Generation Tribunal in Mombasa

At COP30, the world once again gathered to debate climate ambition. Yet the everyday realities of water, the first thing climate disrupts, were still too often missing from the center of the conversation. My story begins in Burundi, where water is not a policy point, but a lived truth.

I am Don Divin Niyitunga, a changemaker with a clear vision of becoming an exceptional water storyteller. Hailing from Burundi which is often called the “heart of Africa” for its geography, our nation sits at the source of two major continental basins, the Nile and the Congo. This unique position gives Burundi an unusually high density of rivers and lakes for its size, contributing to some of the most abundant freshwater resources in East Africa.

Burundi is one of the few nations in Africa where many rural communities still draw water directly from springs and hillside sources, untreated, un-boiled, pure in origin. According to national reviews, about 60 % of rural households have access to basic drinking-water services. In several regions around Bujumbura, 32 natural springs were harnessed to supply gravity-fed tap stands.

This isn’t just water. It is a living expression of nature’s design, a gift of beauty and calm in an era of mechanized systems. It reminds us that the most precious resources often come to us without machines and filters, and we must safeguard this treasure for generations to come.

Hot spring of Kumahoro, Burundi, where people come for healing

In the hills and valleys of my country, we have sacred thermal springs where people gather in hope. Women pray for their children, the sick seek healing, and elders pass down stories of faith and miracles. These hot springs, such as Muyange and Muhweza, have long been places where communities seek relief, restoration, and connection with the natural world. To us, water is medicine. It is spiritual. It is part of who we are. Every drop carries a memory, a prayer, and a promise.

Where My Burundi Water Story Began

I grew up in a small village called Gatara in northern Burundi. As children, one of our daily tasks was to walk to the nearby spring to collect water. We carried small jerry cans, sometimes barefoot, walking through hills and narrow paths.

But it wasn’t just about water. It was about friendship. Each step carried hope; each drop carried strength. On the way, we laughed, joked, raced each other, and shared stories. Those walks to the spring built bonds that shaped who we became. I learned resilience, unity, and love from the springs of Gatara. These are lessons no classroom could have ever taught me.

Water brought us together. And even though we didn’t have much, we had each other.

From Springs to Scarcity and Impact on Health

Even though I am an adult now, the reality I grew up with has not changed much. The water infrastructure in Burundi is still fragile, and in many places, children continue to walk long distances just to collect a few liters of safe water, not only in Burundi, but across much of the world.

The water crisis in the city is not just a problem; it is a daily story lived by thousands of families. In Bujumbura, long lines form around a single tap. Some people wait for hours. Low-income families struggle to find enough water to drink, cook, and clean. Others walk with containers from faraway sources. And many cannot trust the little water they do find because it may be contaminated. A simple glass of clean water remains a luxury in many homes.

Long queues to collect water in Bujumbura

When clean water is scarce, disease follows. Cholera, Typhoid fever, Schistosomiasis (bilharzia), and other water-borne illnesses spread quickly, especially in crowded areas with poor sanitation. With every outbreak, dreams slow down and hope becomes harder to hold.

And so, if COP30 outcomes are to mean anything, water must rise from the sidelines to the center.

My Role as the Regional Lead (East Africa)

As a Regional Water Storyteller at the Water Storytellers Collective, I envision an Africa where clean water represents health, dignity, and hope. Water is not only essential for human life, it shapes our cultures, our ecosystems, and our future. It sustains communities and preserves some of the world’s most rare and fragile species.

My role is to bring forward the stories that are often overlooked. The stories of families who depend on a single spring, communities protecting their rivers, and wildlife surviving because of the waters that flow through their landscapes.

I see storytelling as a way to inspire action, elevate truth, and amplify the voices of those who experience the water crisis every day. Through honest experiences and shared narratives, I hope to strengthen awareness and build a movement that protects water for both people and nature.

One Story Can Spark Change

Don Divin Niyitunga at a workshop with school children

My teacher once told me, “Why you? Why me? It all depends on us.” Those words shaped how I see the world. They remind me that every voice matters and every action counts.

Water teaches us the same lesson. Each drop matters. Each story, too.

Your struggles, your victories, your dreams, your fears, when shared, can inspire others to care, act, and protect what keeps us alive. Your words might help a community prevent water-borne diseases, protect a spring, or support someone who feels alone in this crisis.

So I invite you to share your story.

Tell us how water shaped your childhood. Tell us what water scarcity taught you. Tell us how water challenged you, or pushed you to grow.

Your voice might be the drop that starts a wave, a wave of awareness, unity, and change. The world is listening. And perhaps your story is the one powerful enough to move hearts, shift attention, and begin the process of real, lasting change.