In South Africa, millions of people face daily life without clean water, especially in schools. For Murendeni Mafumo it's personal, and he is helping to restore safe and sustainable access.

The school day begins like any other, but it doesn't take long for the cracks to show. The English teacher is absent again, sick with a stomach bug that's been spreading steadily among the staff. In maths, the numbers on the whiteboard blur slightly, harder to focus on, as the heat builds and dehydration sets in.

A few desks are empty because some girls are at home, their absence explained only by a quiet, shared understanding. After soccer practice, the team collapses into the shade, sweat drying on their skin, mouths parched. There's no water to drink, not even a sip.

For hundreds of thousands of pupils all over South Africa, this is an everyday reality. With more than 11 million people lacking access to safe, clean water, and one in three schools with inadequate water and sanitation, the ripple effects on health, attendance and academic performance are profound.

It's a daily struggle that often goes unseen, but for Murendeni Mafumo it's deeply personal. Raised in the rural villages of...