Water Changes Everything!

The people of Kawira had a really big week last week…  Not only did they receive their very first service team from their new partner church – Five Stones, Charlotte NC – but they also watched as the community’s first borehole was drilled and water flowed.

The only water source prior to the borehole was from a small seasonal stream (12″ wide) that flowed only during the rainy season.  Community members did what they could to harvest rainwater when possible, but most community members had to walk for miles to gather water or purchase it (very expensive) from water vendors that delivered it to the community via donkey carts.

The borehole is Phase 1 of a multiple phase solution to secure a sustainable, long-term water solution.  Over the next few months, the water will be tested, and a kiosk and tank constructed adjacent to the borehole.

Phase 2 will be the distribution of the water — tanks, piping, and kiosks — to multiple distribution points throughout the community.

It’s hard for us here in the US to grasp what a life-changing impact clean water has to a community like Kawira.  It provides hope & confidence to the community, and a strong foundation for future development efforts.

A special thanks to Five Stones Church and the Dan Phelan Water Grant for their generous support of the project.

We’re looking forward to securing support for Phase 2 and watching as Kawira continues down the road to self-development.