Pap Ndege Community, Kenya
The 400 residents of the Pap Ndege community in eastern Kenya struggled to access safe water. They relied on a river for water, walking miles to reach the banks to collect water for drinking, cooking, bathing, and household chores. Oftentimes, parents tasked their children with the chore of gathering water as they couldn’t risk losing any of their hourly wages working as field hands.
Children walked miles to the river before and after school, hauling heavy containers back to their homes. By the time they got to school, they were often late, unbathed, and already exhausted. To make an already dire situation worse, the water from the river was dangerously contaminated and the residents of Pap Ndege contracted waterborne diseases like cholera, typhoid, dysentery, and parasitic infections.
Joseph Oballa is a 45-year-old teacher at Pap Ndege’s local primary school. He’s witnessed how the water crisis has impacted his students and neighbors. Mr. Oballa described the community’s situation as difficult, saying, “Pupils would arrive to school late because they had gone to collect water for their family before school. Their uniforms were dirty because their families had no choice but to use what little water they had for more urgent needs.” He went on to explain that the school leadership even opted to change the color of the uniforms in order to hide stains more easily.
The Living Water staff visited the community and found that the residents desperately needed a safe water source. They were also ready to maintain a water system, so the staff announced the construction of a new safe water solution! They returned later with a drill rig and dug into the earth until reaching a safe water aquifer. After testing the water to ensure it was safe to consume, the staff installed piping, a sanitary seal, and a hand pump. The residents finally had safe water in a central location at the school.
Throughout the water project, the Living Water team also shared the good news of God’s love and his offer of living water to everyone. They shared the story of the Samaritan woman at the well found in John 4 to underline this invitation. At the completion of the well, the team held a well dedication service alongside the local church, where students and their families thanked the Lord for his provision. At this ceremony, all of the students received new Bibles to keep.
Mr. Oballa was overjoyed that his students could realize their potential and focus on their education. He said, “Now, pupils have started arriving to school early since water is nearby and available throughout the day. In addition, the students’ hygiene will improve since they can now wash themselves and their uniforms.”
