Ekwamkrom is a farming community in southern Ghana fortunate enough to have a major water source running through it – the Akora River. Residents use the river for everything, from bathing and washing their clothes to cooking with and drinking it.
But while the Akora brings life, it also carries disease.
Bilharzias is caused by worms that swim freely in water contaminated with infected snails. Once ingested, they burrow deep inside, impairing physical and mental development in children, and causing organ damage in adults. Of the 200 children screened in Ekwamkrom, 96 – nearly half – were infected. The water they needed to survive was making them sick.
It’s not enough to treat a disease – we need to prevent it.
Ghana isn’t the only country to suffer from water-borne diseases; across the globe this coveted resource brings both life and death. This year, we’ve focused on rural Tanzania, where children often hike long distances to gather water that is rarely safe for drinking. They’re left to struggle against fatal illnesses like cholera and dysentery.
But there’s always a way to fight back!
Water filters eliminate bacteria and viruses, protecting children and their families from life-threatening diseases. Over 250 families in Ekwamkrom received the gift of a filter last year, and the number of Bilharzias cases in children plummeted from 96 to just 2. Parents are also saving valuable income filtering their own water instead of buying it bottled.
Water filters won`t just give a family in Tanzania clean drinking water; they will give children a chance to grow up strong and develop properly – to be well enough to go to school and become healthy, fulfilled adults.
Give a family the gift of clean water.
The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.
Isaiah 58:11
