A month in Zambia left my friends eager to do something for the people of Africa. Staggering poverty confronted them in every village, and the need was so great that nothing seemed able to go beyond surface help. Out of a call that compelled their travels, my friends and their two children went as summer missionaries. But when the time there neared the end, the question remained, “What can we do to make a difference here?”
One answer came in the form of well drilling. Something that we take for granted in the States, wells are a precious commodity in other parts of the world. Mortality rates are linked to the lack of water, to be sure, but the lack of clean, drinkable water means diarrheal diseases run rampant to the tune of 2.2 million deaths among children per year. In the U.S., diarrhea is considered a relatively manageable illness with the aid of over-the-counter medicines. In other countries, water and sanitation are contributing factors to the deaths of 4,100 children daily.
What if someone could access pure drinking water?
The Water4 Foundation has found a feasible way to do exactly that. Using PVC pipe and other easily accessible materials, a plunger pump and hand drilling technology are used where the cost of heavy machinery is prohibitive. Not only are the wells drilled, but jobs are produced that help villages thrive on their own. Water4 has successfully helped 150,000 people in the four short years of its operations. Their goal is to get water to one million people within the next two years. Do you think they could do it? Not on their own! It takes $900 to drill a well for one village. Could you pool resources with your co-workers to finance a $200 pump, or $5,000 for a drill kit that would drill up to 50 wells? Would you sponsor a well ?
My friends came home and began with bake sales and car cleaning services. Others embraced the dream and added their dollars as well.
Do you think you have nothing to give? How about enthusiasm, connections with others and prayer? You could be the link to bring the refreshing water that will save a child’s life!
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