Water has the power to bring life or death. It’s hard to believe that today, in the 21st century, during the greatest explosion of technology our world’s history has known, with so many resources at our finger tips, that millions of people still lack clean water. And yet, those of us who have clean water are caught in forgetfulness or ignorance about this fact and just keep letting it happen. It’s time for those of us who are hydrated safely to do something. World Water Day is Sunday, March 22nd this year.
It wasn’t too long ago that now, one of the most civilized places on earth was experiencing water borne diseases. For generations, before sanitation standards were quite figured out, large amounts of sewage and other waste pollutants were dumped into the River Thames in London, England. In the mid 1800’s, on a particularly hot day, members of Parliament were literally seen running out of Parliament with their hands over their faces, gagging at the Great Stink of London. The smell was one thing. But the most serious issue was, the Thames was their main source of drinking water. Diseases like typhoid fever and cholera claimed the lives of thousands of people in a land that is now known as the crossroads of the world. During the Great Stink, in 1878, a boating accident knocked the passengers of two boats overboard and hundreds were dead in a very short amount of time not only because of drowning, but also because the waste that had been poured into the Thames had turned into biohazard toxins. All of this happened because of untreated water.
I can tell you today, that I just returned from London a couple months ago. The water is safe and the city is thriving… because somebody in their history took action to end the cycle of disease their people were suffering from by implementing clean water initiatives. According to water.org , every one minute a child dies from a water borne illness, over 750 Million people lack clean water, and more than 840,000 people die a year from water related disease. How can we make an impact to reduce these numbers on our watch?
Those numbers are staggering and can leave feelings of powerlessness to make a difference. In order to move a mile, you must first move an inch though.
In tribute to World Water Day, World Help is campaigning for clean water sources for the region of Kirinda, Uganda. The people of this nation are still recovering from oppression and terror experienced during a period of mass genocide. World Help’s initiative hopes to reduce the statistics that are keeping the beautiful people of this land in bondage to sickness and poverty.
Kirinda’s population consists of less than 2,000 people. Among these precious souls are 100 children that are sponsored through World Help. The school where many of these children attend has no clean water source. The closest water source requires children to walk a long, dangerous walk to fill their jerry cans with filthy water from a dirty pond, from which local livestock also drink.
In the nation of Uganda, currently 29% lack access to clean water and 68% lack access to sanitation. Think back to the problems London experienced particularly in the 1800’s mentioned above. On different levels, those threats due to unclean water and sanitation still abound in places like Uganda. Only, the people of this land are stuck because of vicious cycles of poverty, and are unable to afford to pay for the systems that exist today to help them survive and thrive out of their desperate conditions.
We may not be able to change the world all at once, but we can start with helping to bring clean water to the four villages that make up Kirinda, Uganda by supporting the initiatives World Help is currently endeavoring upon to bring safe water to these people.
What is the initiative, you ask? It’s to bring these 3 critical elements about:
Water Well: One clean-water well located centrally to provide easy access to the greatest number of villagers
Piping System: Connects multiple facilities, including the school and clinic to the central well, providing several crucial points of access
Irrigation: A reliable water source for the local farm to increase production and avoid crop-loss during the dry season
Do you know what my favorite part about this whole initiative is? In a place that consists of multiple tribes with diverse beliefs, an evangelical church will stand tall with not only an access point for the water-piping system, but also as an access point for people to drink deeply from The Living Water: Jesus.
So, my friend, what are you going to do to help bring clean water to these dear people?
I’ve been drinking a nice tall glass of water while I wrote this. And according to statistics, at least 60 children have died during this time, because they did not have access to clean water.
I pray this post will help put a dent in those statistics and bring water to Kirinda.
Will you pray too?
Will you share this post to help increase the efforts for these 2,000 people to be able to have an increased chance at life and an increased chance to live long enough to be introduced to and drink from the Living Water like you and I have?
Will you give to help support the Water Well, Piping System, and Irrigation for the people living in Kirinda?
Let’s help alleviate the fears the dear souls of Kirinda have when quenching their thirst.
Let’s give these people the gift of life with each sip of water they drink.
Let’s help bring them clean water.
And let’s pray that their physical lives will be sustained by it and that their souls will drink from the Living Water so we will worship side by side together in eternity one day.
“…but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:14, NIV
Click here to help give clean water to the people of Kirinda.