The city spreads over the slopes of the Cerro Colorado, a hill between the Canto Grande and Media Luna ravines.

But during daily life in the district of San Juan de Lurigancho, no one recalls that they’re walking on ground that is part of Lima’s sacred mountain, which towers 2,240 meters above sea level and is home to rock carvings and ancestral temples.

This district, the most populous in the capital of Peru, has other priorities. Something that might seem simple, like having clean drinking water at school, is not always easy. For those who live in the high areas of the district in the hills of clear, dry land, drinking water shortages – both in quantity and quality – are commonplace.

Since last year, the situation has changed for students of five district schools: Juan Velasco Alvarado, Santa María, Ramiro Prialé Prialé, Karol Wojtyla, and Mártir Daniel Alcides Carrión. Along with Save the Children, Ferrovial has built or renovated the water and sanitation infrastructures at these educational centers – tanks for storing drinking water and new bathrooms.

Despite these difficulties, San Juan de Lurigancho has a high educational rate. However, lack of access to clean water and hygiene is the leading cause of stomach illnesses in children, which results in absences from school. This is why the project has provided training on proper water usage and hygiene habits, in addition to the new infrastructure that’s changed the face of the schools.

On Lima’s sacred slopes, 9,572 boys and girls can now drink the water that comes out of the tap of their school with peace of mind. In the rest of the world, 2.1 billion people still don’t have that luxury.