Valle de los Lirios Community, Peru
The 160 residents of the Valle de los Lirios community in central Peru struggled against a pervasive and long-standing water crisis. For years, the community members relied on a nearby pond to supply enough water for their daily needs. The pond water was visibly contaminated with green algae, but residents had no choice but to use the water for drinking, cooking, cleaning, and bathing. Sometimes, residents walked over two kilometers to reach an additional water source, but many residents didn’t have the time to make the long trek, as they worked from dawn till dusk.
The residents knew that the pond water wasn’t safe to drink—many community members had fallen ill with waterborne diseases contracted from the foul water. In an effort to mitigate the sickness that ravaged their community, residents boiled their water for hours. This left the water with a bitter taste and added additional time to the already arduous task of collecting water. Rodolfo Jesús Torres Solis is a 38-year-old local pastor. He and his community have first-hand experience with the dangers of collecting and drinking unsafe water.
Pastor Rodolfo said, “A significant moment in our community happened a few years ago when the children went to play near the pond. A child fell into the pond while playing with others. They all thought he was playing, but the little boy could not swim and drowned. I felt anguish, imagining that it could be my son. I began to pray to the Lord. The whole situation made us aware of the dangers children face while gathering water. This experience has impacted my life a lot.”
Residents knew that they needed a safe and reliable water source to keep their children out of harm’s way. Community leaders soon heard about Living Water International’s work in the region and reached out requesting urgent help. After assessing the community’s situation, Living Water Peru was able to announce the construction of a new well! Finally, the community no longer had to rely on the pond and had plentiful safe water near their homes!
In order to help the Valle de los Lirios community members understand how to use safe water as a means of improving their health, the Living Water staff held hygiene and sanitation promotion activities. These interactive lessons taught the residents effective handwashing, how to prevent the spread of disease, and how to properly store water. Residents left the lessons eager to put what they had learned into practice.
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 used 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 residents thanked the Lord for his provision.
Safe water has fundamentally changed the lives of the Valle de los Lirios community members. With the gift of safe water, residents no longer have the face the toilsome and degrading work of gathering water that only makes them sick. Now, they are free to use their time as they please, unencumbered by sickness. The community members are confident their new well will nourish them in the years to come as they continue to maintain their pump and improve hygiene practices.
Pastor Rodolfo was relieved and thankful that the children in his community are now safe from drowning in the pond. He said, “The drinking water God has blessed us with will greatly change our lives, especially for the children. Now, we can meet our congregation’s needs for water, as well as the nearby neighbors. We will always take care of this new water source!”
