A Wellspring of Hope: Clean Water Revolutionizes A Village in Sierra Leone
The country of Sierra Leone has incredible natural resources and wonderful people, yet there continues to be significant disparity: Twenty-five percent of the population lives on less than $3 per day*. On a recent trip to Sierra Leone with World Hope International I experienced many of the transformational programs run by our committed staff.
From those who stand against the evil of human trafficking as they come alongside survivors at the Recovery Centre, to those who work with children and youth living with disabilities so that they will be accepted and empowered by their families and communities, to those who monitor pregnant mothers and screen women for cervical cancer to reduce mortality rates — all of these programs create sustainable change in Sierra Leone.
One day in particular stood out as “One of the top 10 days of my life.”
For me, experiencing a well drilling firsthand is a memory I won’t soon forget. I had the honour of watching the World Hope Sierra Leone Water & Sanitation team drill a well in a village, funded by generous Canadian supporters.
The benevolence of individuals and churches is transforming thousands of lives for decades to come. Clean water access, or its absence, profoundly impacts every facet of children and families’ existence: education, safety, economic stability, and health.
Witnessing the expressions on the faces of children, particularly the young girls and their mothers who usually bear the burden of fetching water daily, as they observed the drilling team successfully tap into a clean water source and begin piping the water—it was evident that the entire village recognized the significance of Thursday, February 29, 2024. This was a historic day, one that would leave a lasting impact felt for generations to come.
- The clean water has come and now our children will no longer die from preventable water borne illnesses.
- The clean water has come and now we can grow a healthy crop.
- The clean water has come and now we can send our daughters to a full school day rather than having them walk miles to fetch dirty water.
- The clean water has come and now we can stay in the village to fetch water and avoid physical and sexual attacks on long, lonely roads.
To our generous donors who continue to sacrificially support so that water systems can be implemented to a community who has not experienced the gift of clean water: your gift produces a multi-faceted, transformation in the lives of every child and family member. The full extent of its impact is yet to be told.
One thing is certain: On February 29, 2024, one more community is dancing with joy and looking to their future with renewed hope, because the clean water has finally come.
But whoever drinks of the water that I will give them shall never thirst; but the water that I will give them will become in them a well of water springing up to eternal life.
