Today I am in Sioux Falls, South Dakota (enroute to Rosebud Reservation), to give a report to Wesley United Methodist Church about the deep water well they sponsored in the Kamphenda area of Northern Malawi. This year's confirmants--youth joining the church--took on a village well project they called "Well Well Well" and raised $5,000 in six months to sponsor a WorldHope Corps well. We were able to match that amount from the Well Fund to pay for a new well in Kamuli village in July...and I am delighted to share photos and a report of how over 1000 villagers now have clean, potable water that will save lives.
"I was thirsty and you gave me a drink..." Jesus said in Matthew 25. The "Well Well Well" youth presented me with one of their fund-raising T-shirts with this scripture on the back. I responded by saying:
"Jesus also said, 'whosoever offers a cup of cold water in my name shall not lose their reward.' Sometimes we are called to do more than offer a cup of water; sometimes we are able to provide a deep water well so that over 1000 people can draw buckets of water every day. What you have done in providing a new well at Kamuli will literally save the lives of many people, especially children under the age of 5, who otherwise would get sick or die from waterborne diseases.
"Women (more than men) typically walk 3-5 miles each day to fetch a pale of water from the nearest water source. Often these water sources--stream, mud hole, shallow welll or a rain puddle during the rainy season--are contaminated and unsuitable for drinking.
Kamphenda--a rural area about 4 hours from Mzuzu--is a remote area targeted by the Church and Society unit of the Synod of Livingstonia in Malawi for community development. WorldHope Corps is pleased to partner with them to provide as many as 20 deep water wells in villiages where their volunteers are working, teaching, organizing and promoting human rights.
The new well in Kamuli is number 12 in our ongoing commitment since 2007 to sponsor village wells.
Rebecca's Well in Njuyu village, and Helen Ford's well in Wilrilo village--both hear primarily schools--where the other two wells we sponsored and installed during our mission trip in July.
more photos to come.
Here are a few photos of the new village well, installed on July 15, 2010, through project manager Jim McGill and Andrew Solidad:
"I was thirsty and you gave me a drink..." Jesus said in Matthew 25. The "Well Well Well" youth presented me with one of their fund-raising T-shirts with this scripture on the back. I responded by saying:
"Jesus also said, 'whosoever offers a cup of cold water in my name shall not lose their reward.' Sometimes we are called to do more than offer a cup of water; sometimes we are able to provide a deep water well so that over 1000 people can draw buckets of water every day. What you have done in providing a new well at Kamuli will literally save the lives of many people, especially children under the age of 5, who otherwise would get sick or die from waterborne diseases.
"Women (more than men) typically walk 3-5 miles each day to fetch a pale of water from the nearest water source. Often these water sources--stream, mud hole, shallow welll or a rain puddle during the rainy season--are contaminated and unsuitable for drinking.
Kamphenda--a rural area about 4 hours from Mzuzu--is a remote area targeted by the Church and Society unit of the Synod of Livingstonia in Malawi for community development. WorldHope Corps is pleased to partner with them to provide as many as 20 deep water wells in villiages where their volunteers are working, teaching, organizing and promoting human rights.
The new well in Kamuli is number 12 in our ongoing commitment since 2007 to sponsor village wells.
Rebecca's Well in Njuyu village, and Helen Ford's well in Wilrilo village--both hear primarily schools--where the other two wells we sponsored and installed during our mission trip in July.
more photos to come.
Here are a few photos of the new village well, installed on July 15, 2010, through project manager Jim McGill and Andrew Solidad: