It is incredible to see people with very little materially, leverage what they do have for the good of many. Over the past several years we have seen Kenyan communities do some amazing things to improve their own well-being and quality of life.
A few examples…
Miles and miles of trenches for water lines dug in one day
An eight-acre plot of land fenced off in less than four hours
Truck loads of food gathered to help neighboring communities in need
Youth led foot washings in a local river to scrub the jiggers out of children’s feet.
And the list goes on and on…
One of the most amazing stories is a little community in the Segera area they call Black Tank. (You guessed it… There is a large Black Tank in the community.)
For years the people of Black Tank have lived without access to clean drinking water. The people in this area, some of the poorest I have seen in all of Kenya, decided a couple years ago that enough was enough.
They united together and started a fund to repair the pump on a nearby borehole so they would no longer have to walk great distances for water that was ultimately unclean and making them sick. So each week the community members would contribute what they could to the fund. Weeks turned into years and eventually they had raised just over 85,000 Kenya Shillings. (about $1,180) A pretty impressive feat considering people in the community live of less than $1 a day. Yet still a far cry from the over $3,000 needed just to repair the existing pump.
When we started working in the area, and heard about what this community had done. We quickly realized that Black Tank was a prime example of a community working together to meet their own needs. The 410 Bridge was excited to partner with Black Tank in their journey to bring water to their community.
I am pleased to announce that thanks to the people of Black Tank, the hard work of Water Missions International, The 410 Bridge Kenya staff, our Church Partners, and a number of very generous donors. The old 1950’s era diesel pump has been replaced with a state of art submersible pump being powered by solar panels. The community of Black Tank now has a sustainable water solution that provides the entire community with access to clean water within a short stroll of their homes.
It has been amazing to see the body of Christ in Kenya and the U.S. come together to serve the people of Black Tank. Our hope is that as this project and the ongoing work in the community will help lead many to trust in the living water that is Jesus Christ.
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