Safe water and latrines

Our church is in a remote village with no access to clean water. There were many families of children, even members of our church, without toilets and running water. Some were consuming river water. This intervention makes us feel especially blessed because there are three benefits at once. We finally had six toilets, fresh water and a water filtration kit. Our children began to understand how to follow a clean, healthy pattern of living. They came to know about healthy drinking water standards and could avoid old habits where they drank non-boiled or unprocessed water. The toilets we have today are enough for our children to use on weekdays, and even for our church congregation. We no longer have to buy water, and we don’t run out of water.

Now, the church and our child development centre have a secure source of drinking water. The children and our congregation no longer have to queue to use the toilet. Clean water that is drinkable instantly is accessible to children and families and even to other citizens in need.

With the filtering equipment, we will no longer have any difficulty providing clean water for church programs. We are able to demonstrate how good drinking water standards are for the family, and how each household needs its own sanitation to promote clean and healthy environmental conditions that can foster children’s growth.

We have nothing more to say than countless words of thanks to all who have sponsored this activity. Thank you for blessing us and our children. Our prayer is that the Lord Jesus will pour out His blessings multiple times to all who have helped us realize our dream of having clean water and toilet facilities.

Before this intervention the church often ran out of water, especially during large-scale activities on Christmas and Easter. Previously at our centre there was only one suitable toilet. Clean water was difficult to get, and often a staff member would have to purchase water for daily use in the church.

Now we have cleaner, healthier water, since the sophisticated water filtration equipment is already in the church. We can drink it directly without boiling it. We don’t have to purchase it or go far to fetch it. Life feels so good. We now have more toilets so we don’t have to wait in line.

We feel more confident that the water we consume is clean and healthy. Hopefully, illnesses in children can be reduced by the presence of the new toilets as well as adequate water that is ready for drinking immediately.

Through this intervention we are learning to care more about others who are in greater need, and to be more grateful to the Lord, for we know that the Lord has many ways to help His people who are in need. We are learning how to be healthy at the centre and in our own homes.

We are so grateful to the sponsors who have funded this project. We pray that the Lord Jesus blesses everyone who serves, blesses and has been involved in sponsoring this intervention so that our hopes and dreams can come true.

Thanks to your generous support, the 202 children supported by the Immanuel Child Development Centre, along with their families, now have access to clean drinking water as well as proper sanitary facilities. For these families, having running water in their village was once only a distant dream. Now, it has become a reality. They are so grateful to you and to God for His provision.

Staff want to express their thanks, too. They report that since the installation of the borehole and filtration system they have more than enough water to use to meet the needs of the beneficiaries, and without the need to boil and prepare water before using it, they will be able to work far more efficiently on centre days. Funds that had been absorbed by the cost of filtered water can now be used to improve other aspects of the program. Parents are also able to come and collect water at the church whenever they need it, ensuring that children have access to safe water at home as well .

The new latrines mean that children do not have to relieve themselves outdoors, and with access to running water, they can be kept clean and hygienic for ongoing use. Enrolment at the centre has increased again, with 202 children now attending the program and gaining access to clean water. As the pandemic continues, staff are especially grateful that they can help children continue to implement good hygiene habits like hand washing to protect themselves and others from the spread of the virus.

The gift of clean, potable water along with sanitation facilities and hand washing stations has impacted children’s lives on a daily basis. Now, the church is seen as a leading example in cleanliness and health in the community. Thank you for expressing the love of Christ through your generous gift!