Pipeline, Fall 2008 by Living Water International

PIPELINE PROVIDING A CUP OF WATER IN JESUS’ NAME

THIS ISSUE...

FALL 2008

UPDATES: FLOODING & DROUGHT

HELP OUR PEOPLE

MITES, BUCKS & JHARUDELA

HOUSTON GALA AROUND THE CORNER!

JESUS FOR ALL

HOW A WELL WORKS

A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT

PIPELINE VOLUME 7

The Olympic games and election years are interesting times; so many people

NUMBER 3

LIVING WATER INTERNATIONAL

are thinking about the importance of winning. But what makes us winners in Chairman of the Board

Gary Loveless

Executive Director

Gary Evans

President

Jerry Wiles

Vice President

Lew Hough

a perishable prize. However, we who are in Christ run a race for an imperish-

Vice President

Tim Mulville

Vice President

John Nadolski

able one. In Philippians 3:14 he says, “I press on toward the goal to win the

Vice President

Brad Saltzman

Vice President

Bruce Whitmire

the things that really matter in life? In I Corinthians 9:25, the Apostle Paul talks about people who compete for

(supreme and heavenly) prize to which God in

Living Water International Headquarters PO Box 35496 Houston, TX 77235-5496 877.594.4426 www.water.cc

Christ Jesus is calling us upwards.” Being faithful to Christ and his calling makes

us winners in God’s sight. We are all called to

Living Water International Canada 290 Lawrence Ave W. Toronto, Ontario Canada M5M 1B3 Phone: 1.877.988.4688 www.livingwatercanada.org

this, regardless of our status or vocation in life. God is an equal opportunity employer, so even “the least of these,” according to Scripture,

Living Water International exists to demonstrate the love of God by helping communities acquire desperately needed clean water, and experience “living water”—the gospel of Jesus Christ—which alone satisfies the deepest thirst.

can be winners in life. We are called by Jesus to love the neediest people on earth. We can save lives and change destinies. We can share hope, and give people the opportunity

PIPELINE is published quarterly by Living Water International to raise awareness about the global water crisis and to inspire Christians everywhere to respond with compassion to the needy of the world.

to experience the gospel. They can know and make known the living water of Jesus Christ. It is amazing to be a part of the reproducing life of Jesus Christ

We welcome your stories, comments and/or address changes. Send them to: The Editor, Pipeline, PO Box 35496, Houston, TX 77235-5496 or email the editor: pipeline@water.cc.

that happens through broken but redeemed human beings. The stories and photos you will find in this issue of Pipeline are captivating,

Living Water International is a nonprofit Christian organization and tax exempt by the IRS under code section 501(c)(3). Gifts are tax deductible as allowed by law. Contributions are solicited with the understanding that the donee organization has complete discretion and control over the use of all donated funds.

and we pray that they will stir your hearts to help. There is a role for each of us. It’s exciting to know that God has called us all to be winners—to endure and win the prize—and to enable others to do the same.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations in this publication are from the Holy Bible, Today’s New International Version™ TNIV Copyright © 2001, 2005 by International Bible Society. All rights reserved.

(( IN THIS ISSUE )))))) 4

| HELP OUR PEOPLE: BRINGING WATER TO SIMBAY

| A CLOSER LOOK: HOW WELLS WORK

| CHRISTOPHER’S WELL

| JESUS FOR ALL

| EDITORIAL: MITES, BUCKS & JHARUDELA

Combined Federal Campaign # 10788

EVANGELICAL

PRESS ASSOCIATION

BE INFORMED • GET INVOLVED • GIVE

ATTENTION HOUSTON AREA VOLUNTEERS! Do you want to “Color the World With Love?” You won’t want to miss our 10th annual gala at Houston’s InterContinental Hotel. There are many opportunities to volunteer in September and beyond. Would you prefer to help behind the scenes in an office setting? We’ll need volunteers to make follow-up phone calls, send event emails, write thank you letters, and more. Would you rather be involved in the day-of-the-event excitement? Assist staff with set-up, registration, and clean-up for the gala on September 26 or for the open house on the September 27. If you have the time, we’ll find a fit! Contact Cheryl Thornton (cheryl@water.cc or 281.207.7856) to sign up!

SEEKING: COLLEGE STUDENTS WITH GREAT VISION Create a buzz on your college campus and be part of the newest Living Water International volunteer initiative. LWI is seeking students with a passion to see change and spread love by raising awareness in their communities, both oncampus and off. Put what you learned in Marketing 101 to good use by hosting an event or fundraiser—be as creative as you’d like! Organize a Battle of the Bands or a Water Walk, a carnival or Dance-a-Thon—the opportunities are endless. The first groups have already been formed at Angelo State University and The University of Oklahoma. Be the first at your college to tell the story of the thirsty! Contact Cheryl Thornton (cheryl@water.cc or 281.207.7856) for details.

GET OUTSTANDING MEDIA FOR YOUR CHURCH AND SUPPORT LWI The Quench Project is a collective effort among Christian filmmakers to save lives by funding clean water wells in Africa. These filmmakers have each donated one (or more) of their finest media pieces to the formation of a compilation DVD. This DVD is currently being sold to local churches for use in their worship services, and can be a catalyst for getting churches engaged in the global water crisis. 100 percent of all sales will be donated to Living Water International. For more information, go to thequenchproject.com.

C’MON. IT’S ONLY A BUCK. WWW.ONEDOLLARWATER.COM

(( UPDATES )))))) FLOODING CREATES HUGE PROBLEMS IN LIBERIA AND INDIA Western Africa has been severely affected by heavy seasonal rains and catastrophic flooding. In Liberia alone, massive flooding triggered by some of the worst storms in the country’s history has left more than 1,000 people homeless. LWI operations there were shut down for weeks before they could start up again in late August. Pending a post-flood survey of the area, LWI Liberia estimates 20 existing wells will have been damaged by the flooding. The torrential rains from the monsoon season have caused extensive flooding in the coastal and Northeastern regions of India, destroying homes and crops and leaving many villages submerged. More than 50,000 people in Northeastern India were displaced by the most recent floods. As the rains continue, there is also an increased threat of water-borne diseases spreading throughout the affected areas. As the waters recede, please pray for LWI teams as they work in the affected areas of Liberia and India.

ETHIOPIAN DROUGHT AFFECTS MILLIONS After two consecutive seasons of poor rains, millions of people in eastern Ethiopia face devastating food and water shortages. The crushing effects of rising food prices are intensified by widespread crop failure throughout the region. Reduced access to food and water is taking its toll on the people of Ethiopia. While the droughts have not stopped the progress of LWI teams in the area, the need for clean water has surged to even more desperate levels. Please pray for the people of Ethiopia and for the LWI teams continuing to drill and rehabilitate wells throughout this nation.

B R I N G I N G

W A T E R

T O

Situated just south of the equator, the east African nation of Tanzania is in many ways a land of extremes. The vast arid plains of the Serengeti stand in stark contrast to the towering snow-capped peaks of Kilimanjaro. The weather is exceptionally wet for four months of the year and devastatingly dry for the remaining eight. The economy is based primarily on agriculture, yet only four percent of the land is considered arable. Approximately 22,800 square miles of Tanzanian territory consists of inland water, yet hundreds of thousands of Tanzanians do not have access to safe drinking water. Although Tanzania is emerging into relative political stability and economic growth after a long period of turmoil, more than 35 percent of its people still live below the poverty line. Additionally, turbulent political situations and violent upheavals in neighboring countries have sent hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing for safety within Tanzania’s borders, straining the country’s already overburdened resources. Living Water International has worked with the people of Tanzania to bring clean water to their rural villages and towns since 1998. Even so, UNICEF reports that less than half of all Tanzanian rural households have access to a clean, safe source of drinking water, and even fewer have access to adequate sanitation facilities. The need is immense. The work is difficult. But people like Lance Whyle, a volunteer partner with LWI, are determined to demonstrate the love of Christ and help meet the needs of thousands of people each year. When Lance first traveled to Tanzania in 2002, he wasn’t looking for a project. He just wanted to spend a few weeks helping his daughter and her husband settle into their home in

PIPELINE

Fall 2008

S I M B A Y

BY SUSANNA DONALD

assured the people of “ Lance Simbay that neither he nor

God would give up on them.

”

the central Tanzanian village of Bonga. “One of the main reasons I went,” Lance jokes, “was to see what this missionary guy had gotten my baby into!” While he was appraising his daughter’s new surroundings, however, he began to observe something else. He saw villagers drinking murky brown water that was swirling with mud and contaminants. He noticed that many people in the community were sick. One day, Lance’s son-in-law, Steve, came back from the neighboring village of Simbay with a plea from one of the tribal elders: “Help our people find water.” Even after Lance returned to the United States, the images of what he had seen replayed themselves endlessly in his head. “I couldn’t get back to my normal life,” he recalls. As he began to look for ways to help, he thought he should just write a check. “But I didn’t know who to write the check to,” he says, “so I started doing some research.” It wasn’t long before Lance’s investigation led him to LWI. It was an answer to prayer. After completing pump repair and drill training and going on some drilling trips in Central America, he was ready. He began to travel back to Tanzania, making several trips to develop relationships with governmental and village leadership. In 2006, Lance returned once more, finally equipped to help answer the plea from Simbay. Large crowds of villagers gathered around, excited to think that their first experience of clean water was so close. Missionaries and local pastors were talking to small groups, telling them the story of the woman at the well. “The atmosphere was electrifying,” Lance remembers. The drilling went on for two days. For two days, the only thing that came out of the borehole was dry granite dust. Everyone was crestfallen. In the midst of the pervading disappointment, however, Lance assured the people of Simbay that neither he nor God would give up on them. Less than a year later, drilling began again only a few hundred yards from the place where the initial attempt was made. As the drill went deeper, the dry granite dust turned to wet clay. At 90 meters, large quantities of water started spewing from the borehole and flowing down to an area that quickly began to look like a small lake. For the first time ever, the people of Simbay had clean water to drink. In the year since clean water came to Simbay, Lance has helped drill and rehabilitate 16 more water wells in central Tanzania. He plans to make two additional trips in 2008 and

Left: A young girl smiles as she pumps clean water from the new well in Simbay. Above: Two children from Simbay village crouch by a murky pond, collecting water for their families. This is a typical source of drinking water for communities throughout Tanzania. People sometimes walk for miles to gather water like this. Below: Boys from the village head home with jerry cans and buckets filled with water from the pond.

hopes to help complete 14 more water projects before the year is over. Each time Lance returns, he is able to train more people to install and repair hand pumps. “Earlier, the people would wait for me,” he recalls. “Every time I would leave, the work would stop. When I go back now, I see that they have found a broken pump and repaired it themselves.” With each trip, Lance continues to train, equip, and empower the Tanzanian people to be a part of the solution to their water problem. Lance is adamant: this work has nothing to do with him, and, in many ways, has little to do with the wells. “Water isn’t really the goal,” he says. “It is only the tool.” At its core, Lance’s work through LWI is about bringing hope, empowering people, and sharing the love of Jesus Christ through clean water. Lance Whyle will return to Tanzania in August and October 2008. Among the projects he will be working on are three medical clinics that do not have access to clean, safe sources of water. Please keep Lance and his family in your prayers as he travels.

www.water.cc

PIPELINE

A CLOSER LOOK:

HOW WELLS WORK BY JONATHAN WILES

INSIDE A WELL

Hand Pump

Sanitary Seal (Cement Grout) Clay or Soil

Aquifer

Rock

Solid Well Casing Rising Main (Drop Pipe) Formation Stabilizer

Borehole Wall

Pump Cylinder Gravel Pack Aquifer

Slotted Well Casing (Screen)

PIPELINE

Fall 2008

You know about the global water crisis. You’ve seen photos of kids drinking out of streams and mud holes—and you’ve seen them drinking water out of hand pumps after a new well is drilled in their village. But what does that shiny new pump mean for these kids and their community? Are wells like this really the best solution? How do they work? Are they sustainable? Are wells sucking up all the water? Are water wells a cookie-cutter solution that aid workers simply copy-and-paste from one community to another? Read on. We’ll try to answer your questions. Wells aren’t the only clean water solution; however, they’re one of the most common. The vast majority of water projects undertaken by Living Water International teams are water wells—and for good reason: in most parts of the world, clean water can be found under your feet, in underground layers called aquifers. These layers are continually refilled by rain and other surface water that filters down through the earth. Water in aquifers is usually very clean; sand and porous rocks provide a natural purification system, filtering out sediment and bacteria.

SO WHAT’S A WELL? A well is simply a hole in the ground that reaches down to an aquifer. Traditionally, people in the developing world have dug wells by hand, which means that only the shallowest aquifers can be reached; hand-dug wells rarely exceed 50 feet, and are often left open, allowing run-off water and other contaminants to enter the well from the surface. The shallow aquifers that these wells draw from are vulnerable to pollution from agricultural fertilizers, industrial waste, or seepage from nearby latrines. With the right equipment, wells can be drilled to deeper, safer water. A pipe and a pump are used to pull water out of the ground, and a screen filters out any particles. Drilled wells are lined with PVC or galvanized steel to protect them from pollution that could otherwise seep in. They are sealed systems, with pumps that only allow water to flow out of the hole, to prevent contaminants from being introduced from the surface.

OKAY… HOW DOES IT WORK? Wells come in different shapes and sizes, depending on the soil conditions and how much water is needed. In some areas, wells need to be very deep to reach good water—sometimes 1,500 feet or more—and require powerful electric pumps powered by diesel generators. These wells are drilled in large communities, and are often installed at a hospital or school. They can produce hundreds of thousands of gallons in a day and serve tens of thousands of people. In the overwhelming majority of cases, wells don’t need to be so deep; safe water is usually found within 100 feet of the surface. For a well like this, a manual hand pump can be installed. There are many kinds of hand pumps, some of which can pull water up from a depth of 200 feet. While not as convenient as an electric pump, a hand pump is usually a much more appropriate solution for a rural

DIGGING DEEPER Exactly how deep is a deep well? How shallow is a shallow well?

Hollywood Sign: 50 feet Hand-dug well: Up to 50 feet Leaning Tower of Pisa: 179 feet Shallow Well: 200 feet Sears Tower: 1,450 feet Deep Well: 1,500 feet

community, both culturally and technologically: hand pumps use common, easilyreplaceable spare parts, and are simple for a village caretaker to maintain with minimal skills and few tools. Except for the occasional repair, it costs the community nothing to operate the well. Hand pumps are cost-effective, and the pumps used at LWI’s wells are proven to be robust and reliable under field conditions. A single hand pump can easily provide water for a community of 500 people, but LWI teams regularly visit areas where two or three thousand people rely on one pump, and more wells are desperately needed. Beyond the sustainability of the well, what about the water itself? News reports tell us that wells are pumping aquifers dry in India and parts of Africa. The thing to remember is that only a tiny percentage of water is used for human consumption. More than 70 percent of fresh water is used for agriculture and most of the rest for industry. Irrigation systems and factories operate on high-capacity water wells that run constantly, pulling millions of gallons daily. Water levels drop, sometimes causing shortage in surrounding residential areas. In contrast, the rate of flow on a village hand pump—about 5 gallons per minute—will never deplete a healthy aquifer. Using common sense in how we implement high-capacity drinking water projects and calling the industrial and agricultural sectors to be responsible water users will ensure plenty of water for future generations.

the local community needs to lead the way. If a well is determined to be the best fix, the older members of the community are consulted on where the well should be placed; they often know where good wells were located generations before. In addition to finding the place most likely to produce good water, and placing it away from potential sources of contamination, the site of the well is important because the well is usually the social center of village life. If the well is not conveniently placed and conducive to social interaction, some people will continue to use their old watering holes. Many well-intentioned projects stand unused because a team of aid workers didn’t bother to listen to the input of the intended beneficiaries. At LWI, we are committed to being open to innovative techniques and technologies, but we are learning that the most innovative solution is collaborating with a community in a “low tech” but thoughtful answer. There’s a lot of talk these days about creating “self-sustainability” as we approach community development projects. What if the answer isn’t creating independence, but interdependence, as communities rely on one another to create and maintain the best solutions for the problems they face? We could settle for doing the same thing everyone else is doing, and trying to be good at it. But what if, by starting by truly loving and listening to the people we came to serve, we could do something new—something with the distinct flavor of the Kingdom of God about it?

HOW IS THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED? When the time comes to decide on the appropriate solution in a particular village,

www.water.cc

PIPELINE

Fall 2008

Christopher’s

Well

making things right

BY STEPHEN JONES

Life in El Salvador is hard, though you wouldn’t be able to tell by looking at Marlene Perez’s home. Marlene shares a two-bedroom house with her mother, Juanita, and her two daughters, Erica (15) and Joanna (11). She has quite a few hens, a symbol of status in the region. Marlene even owns and operates the most popular refresqueria (roadside refreshment stall) in her community, Los Vertientes. Life in El Salvador is hard, though Marlene’s natural smile might just fool you. She’s always had it; it comes easy for her. It’s the kind of smile that reminds you of the gentleness of God. Marlene has a wonderful and infectious grace about her. She says she gets it from her mom. Her mom agrees. Marlene is light on her feet; she navigates through her home like she’s gliding on air. And there isn’t an artist in this world that could paint more welcoming brown eyes. Still, life in El Salvador is hard. It’s not an easy place to grow up, to work, to raise kids. Marlene’s smile might fool you. But if you asked her about life, she will tell you about her son, Christopher. The community of Los Vertientes is appropriately named. It literally means “The Springs.” There is no shortage of water, but—in the words of Samuel Taylor Coleridge—“water, water everywhere, and all the boards did shrink; water, water everywhere—but not a drop to drink.” Years ago the community had the idea of building a system of bayous to help divert some of the water. It would serve two primary purposes: reduce the likelihood of flooding in Los Vertientes, and outlying farming communities would become better equipped to provide water for their crops, and sadly, drinking water for their people. When rainy season hits these quiet streams quickly turn into powerful, fast flowing rivers. May marks the beginning of El Salvador’s rainy season. Each night, like clockwork, the sky turns dark red, thunder crashes, the heavens open, and the rain is unleashed. Everything familiar washes away in four hours—or more—of pounding, cold rain. That’s exactly what happened on May 11th, the day after Mother’s Day. The rain hit especially hard that night. Because the Perez

Above: Two boys at Escuela Los Vertientes prove that they’re strong enough to help with the drilling! Opposite Page Top: Marlene Perez proudly holds a picture of her son, Christopher. Christopher (17 months) drowned in May 2008, after falling into a rushing river. Bottom Left: When first shown the plaque that will mark Christopher’s Well, Marlene kept running her fingers ers over her son’s name. Bottom Right: ght: The community name is Los Vertientes. entes. It means “The Springs.” It was as at this spot in the creek that Christopher fell in.

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Right: Since the drowning, Marlene hasn’t moved a thing in Christopher’s room. His clothes hang from the bed. His baby shoes are aligned on top of the chest of drawers. His crib is home to many stuffed animals. In the room sat Marlene’s Bible, opened to Psalm 93. “The seas have lifted up, O Lord, the seas have lifted up their voice; the seas have lifted up their pounding waves. Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea—the Lord on high is mighty,” (Psalm 93: 3-4). Below: Brandon Baca, a member of Crossbridge Church in Sugar Land, Texas, helps drill Christopher’s Well at Escuela Los Vertientes.

home sits right next to one of Los Vertientes’ creeks, the home flooded quickly. It set Marlene’s morning routine back a bit. What normally is a peaceful beginning: preparing breakfast, getting two girls ready for school, and waking Christopher to accompany her to the local market became an exercise in cleaning debris from their home. Still, life carried on and Erica and Joanna made it to their morning classes. As the girls were leaving, and just before Marlene went to wake up her seventeen-month-old, her sister—Carolina— arrived with a surprise visit. Knowing what happens when the rains come, she had come to help clean up. Marlene, knowing she would miss the bus to the market if she took Christopher, asked her to play a different role—babysitter. Marlene kissed her son goodbye, one last time. While Marlene was at the market, a traveling sheet salesman knocked on the Perez family’s door. Ten yards away, Carolina and Christopher Christopher were sweeping debris from the storm m back b ck ba ck into int n o the the creek. th creek The knock distracted Carolina just lo ong ng enough enough to take takke an an eye ey off of Christopher. In that moment, long

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the worst that could happen… happened. Christopher fell in. It didn’t take long for word to spread throughout the community that a child had fallen in the river. Carolina immediately began to scream for help. Everyone that heard her rushed to the banks to look for Christopher, but he was nowhere to be found. A large group of community members gathered in an area where the creeks become a small pond before passing under a small highway bridge. Two men jumped into this pond with large bamboo sticks, twenty-plus feet in length. They pushed the bamboo under the highway, hoping to dislodge Christopher. The rough debris lodged in the pond cut the men, bloodying their faces. They didn’t notice. Christopher had to be saved. Marlene returned from the market. She had been gone an hour. As she stepped off the bus her sister rushed to her screaming, “I’m so sorry! You have to be strong. You have to be strong!” In that moment, Marlene knew what had happened. She collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. Her family and friends held her down, as she desperately struggled to

Left: A young girl named Stephanie drinks safe, clean water ter er from er hting ng back the well in Comunidad Los Vertientes. Below: While fighting elow tears, Marlene pumps water from Christopher’s Well. Below Left: A boy from Escuela Los Vertientes can’t help but smile while singing “I’m In the Lord’s Army!” Below Right: A young mother washes clothes in a river that is still the primary source for drinking water for so many Salvadorans.

jump into the pond to look for Christopher. His body eventually washed up along the shores of one of the farm communities—about three miles from his home, where he had slipped in. Marlene later learned that a man from the community, unaware of what had happened, actually saw what he thought was a toy, and reached in the river to pick it up. When he realized it was a body, he was startled, dropping the boy’s lifeless body back into the river. A group of Living Water International volunteers were in El Salvador the week of the tragedy. In fact, they had worshiped with Marlene and Christopher at the local church the day before Christopher lost his life. When the team heard about Marlene’s loss, they were compelled to be with her—not as LWI water well drillers, but as the church. They held hands, they cried, they prayed, they listened. They just showed up. After spending time with Marlene and her family, the LWI El Salvador staff decided that they would like to honor Christopher’s life by drilling a well in Los Vertientes in his name— “Christopher’s Well.”

So that’s what happened. Today, as you read this, children at the school in Los Vertientes are drinking safe, clean water. Those children include Christopher’s sisters, Erica and Joanna. “I never thought I’d see my brother’s name on a plaque!” said Joanna. It’s been a terrible year for Marlene. Water wells don’t bring your son back. But they help. At the dedication service for “Christopher’s Well,” Marlene spoke with incredible courage and faith. “When my son died it felt like God was ripping my heart out. I couldn’t breathe. There was no air in my lungs. But God is making things right. With this water, I feel like he’s putting my heart back in.” God is making things right. He’s using his church. They just have to show up. Many other mothers like Marlene will have their heart ripped out this year when water takes the life of their child. Will you help put their heart back? Will you show up?

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PIPELINE

Jesus for All Community T ransformation in Ghana

BY STAN PATYRAK

The heart of the gospel

Top: One of two wells in Amanfrom and Odumase put in by the local mosque. Community members must convert to islam before they are allowed to use the well. Above: Contaminated water in the hand-dug well. Opposite Top: Women look into the open hand-dug well after a bag of charcoal slipped off the edge and fell into the well. Far Right: A woman carries pots and water containers to sell at the market.

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Fall 2008

I am standing at the boundary between two communities— Amanfrom (yeah, really) and Odumase. There are about 4,000 people in the communities to my left and right, and none of them have safe water to drink. Earlier, as we pulled off the main road to enter this area, I watched boys washing cars, using mud pumps to get their water from a nearby stream. As cars became clean, filthy water flowed back into the stream. I found out later that Amanfrom and Odumase are downstream. It turns out, this stream is their primary source of water. We all know this stream is badly contaminated, but it’s the only water I can find here. I ask Rev. George Ghanen, a local pastor who has worked with LWI Ghana for years, where else these communities find drinking water. He tells me that many in the area buy their water from local “water” companies. Before I can get another question out, he goes on to say that there is often no difference between the river and the water being bought—the companies usually fill their tanks with river water anyway. It’s horrible. Rev. George takes me across the road, and shows me the only attempt that has been made to provide water for this community of 4,000. Here’s the catch: You can only drink from it once you convert to Islam. There are two of these wells—one for Amanfrom and one for Odumase—and they are both a tool to get people to convert to Islam. Rev. George, a former Muslim, tells me this can happen one of two ways. Often, nearby Muslim groups will only install these wells when “x” number of people in the community convert to Islam, or only those that have converted are allowed to drink from these wells. They tell me it works. If you look down these open-topped wells, one thing is clear: this water can’t be much better than the contaminated stream. The men, women, and children of this community deserve better. When it comes to drinking water, this should not be the

best option. Amanfrom and Odumase clearly need a break. LWI Ghana is working with local pastors and the local church to identify public, community areas within these villages to drill wells. Clean, safe water from these wells will provide an alternative to the muddy stream, and an alternative to spending $5 (a week’s wages) for four days of contaminated water. It means an alternative to having to convert to Islam just to try and keep your kids alive. Rev. George thinks that Jesus wouldn’t like the whole “convert to Christianity and you can drink clean water” deal. Besides, it’s not how LWI operates. He tells me if they had a well, they would write on it “Jesus for all.” Jesus for all. It’s the heart of the gospel— which is the heart of the work of LWI. These communities need everything that a “Jesus for all” clean water well can provide.

It was fantastic After a long day visiting communities in need of clean water, I am now sitting with Rev. George and his wife, Claire, back at the school they run: Acropolis Maranatha Academy outside of Accra, Ghana. Rev. George hands me a Holsten and tells me to drink. Rev. George is a stocky, happy man—but, I can tell he means business. He and Claire have run Maranatha Academy for over 15 years. Today, Maranatha sits in the middle of a community of 800 people. The school’s two buildings sit on a healthy bit of land. One is a single-story building that serves as a preschool; the other is a two-story school for children aged 7 to 15. Maranatha is also home to many of these children—72 of them, actually. Some are orphans; others live here because their family cannot afford to house them, get them to and from school, and still pay tuition. Some students come from over 18 kilome-

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PIPELINE

Above: Rev. George Ghanen in front of Acropolis Maranatha Academy, the school he founded and runs with his wife, Claire. Ten years ago, LWI Ghana drilled a well for the school that turned out to be an artesian well, producing upwards of 100 gallons a minute.

ters to attend school at Maranatha. The school is that good. In fact, last year Maranatha topped the other 257 schools in the same district. The story didn’t start this way. It started 15 years ago with a strong vision and a mud-pit to drink out of. “It was about 23 feet deep… surface water. It’s all the students and the surrounding community had for water,” George tells me. He goes on, “It had a lot of germs. In fact, it turned the water test black within two hours. [Another organization] had come out and told us there was no way we could drill a well here.” George and Claire tell me that the “miracle” happened 10 years ago—just five years after they opened this now-thriving school. I ask George to tell me more about this miracle. He smiles. “It was fantastic!” Ten years ago LWI Ghana attempted to do what others had called impossible. They worked with Rev. George and Claire to help give this school a break—to give Maranatha Academy clean water. He was right. It was a miracle. LWI Ghana didn’t just drill a well where others swore water was not present. They hit an artesian—a gusher. George’s smile gets a little larger as he shares: “When water gushed out I began to wonder what the surrounding community would do. Water was flooding everything. I wasn’t sure how we would stop it.” I can’t believe what I’m hearing. At a rate of about 100 gallons a minute, clean water flooded the small school, filled the mud pit everyone used to drink from, and then proceeded to

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Fall 2008

wash through the community. Things went from dry to wet in a matter of minutes. And, not just wet—wet with the first clean water the community had seen. Claire and Rev. George tell me the well was a defining mark in the history of not only their school, but the surrounding community as well. That day, almost exactly 10 years ago, the mud pit shut down and the well began serving everyone with clean, safe water. LWI Ghana installed a submersible pump to provide a constant source of water for Maranatha Academy, and put water distribution points throughout the surrounding community. George and I take a walk to the well. Just as he did with that Holsten, he hands me a garden hose and tells me to drink. In the words of Rev. George, the water is “fantastic”—much better than that Holsten.

I can’t help but wish that things could be like this for Amanfrom and Odumase. We have local church support, community buy-in, and an obvious need. In fact, the local district has pinpointed these and dozens of other communities in the area that need “Jesus for all” wells. It could be fantastic. And you could be a part of it. Wells in this region of Ghana come in around $10,000 each. These communities can easily use four or more. Make a donation toward this project, and we’ll make sure that every penny goes toward the “Jesus for all” wells in Amanfrom and Odumase. As always, we’ll show you your money at work.

EDITORIAL:

MITES, BUCKS & JHARUDELA BY PAUL DARILEK

The widow’s mite has been on my heart lately. Some LWI supporters get to travel and see the work they made possible, and how it’s transforming lives. But what about all those folks who sacrificially give a couple hundred bucks? It goes to amazing work—but how can they see it? I crunched some numbers. Turns out that $1 provides clean water for one person for one whole year! A dollar! Who doesn’t blow a buck every day on non-essentials? Designer coffee comes to mind. Breakfast bars. Skittles. Air freshener. What if we set aside that $1 for clean water? So on Easter weekend we launched onedollarwater.com, an Internet challenge to give $1 a day for clean water. Check out the website, watch the video, read the blog—you’ll get a kick out of it. We’re having fun with it. About 50 people took the challenge and now the whole Indian village of Jharudela has clean drinking water! And those 50 $1-a-day givers can see their well on the website! The world just got smaller. LWI heard of this village’s need when we discovered that there were 30 people in Sewbhawan Hospital with severe diarrhea, all from the same village. It was killing their children. We visited Jharudela, and saw their muddy, contaminated water. We decided to empty that hospital. “The feet of the community’s children were on air!” reported LWI India’s Manoj Kumar Nag. “When they saw the water they started dancing! The people said, ‘We consider this the greatest gift of our lives. It will change our lives in many ways.’” A 78-year-old man told Manoj, “Now I can die without any burden as the next generation will get safe water. Thank you ONEDOLLARWATER.COM for the unforgettable

greatest gift!” “You gave us new life!” another added, “Now there is no diarrhea, no waterborne disease, and no child death!” No child death—how’s that for 50 people kicking in a buck a day? If we all do this together we can think big—and we’ll get to see where our dollars go. Help us dream of a vast web community transforming thousands of villages like Jharudela all over the world. It’s just a buck a day. The cost of a donut. A soft drink. Five miles of gas money. A bag of chips. Clean, lifesaving water for a year. The problem’s this: it’s so easy that everyone assumes that someone else will do it. That’s why we need for you to sign up right now. Are you a major donor? Support the efforts of us little givers! Not rich? You can make $1 a day happen! Sign up. Give us three months to show you what your dollar does. If you’re not thrilled, cancel. Go to onedollarwater.com and take the $1 challenge. Or fill out the secure remittance envelope in this issue of PIPLEINE, check the “onedollarwater.com” box, and mail it in. Dream with us. Give a buck a day. Change the world. Then see the change at onedollarwater.com. C’mon, it’s just a buck!

COMMENTS? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic, or any other that you found in this issue of PIPELINE. Send us an email: pipeline@water.cc.

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PIPELINE

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