Three Ukrainians tell how Samaritan’s Purse and a local partner are serving their hard-hit community with this life-giving resource.
A full-scale invasion continues to devastate the Dnipro region of eastern Ukraine, where residents have tragically lost their jobs, property, and all they have worked for their entire lives. But perhaps the worst effects of the war came when the local hydroelectric plant was blown up by enemy forces, leaving people without access to one of life’s most basic necessities—water.
Samartian’s Purse has constructed water points for residents in critical areas of eastern Ukraine.
Three residents—Oleksander*, Oksana*, and Anna*—each reveal a different nuance of the tragedy as well as the hope Samaritan’s Purse is providing their families through the supply of clean water given in Jesus’ Name.
Oleksander: ‘People Couldn’t Make Tea or Take a Shower’
“Can you imagine? The most basic things are unavailable,” said Oleksander, 28, who was born and raised in the location where the plant blew up. “It’s not easy to come up and get water, for example, for cooking. First, you have to find water to do it. People couldn’t even just make tea or take a shower. All this was a heavy burden for people. For the first few months, the goal of every person in the city was to find water—enough for themselves, their family, or grandchildren.”
The destruction of the regions water infrastructure has created a crisis for the many communities there.
Oleksander knew something needed to be done. As a senior leader in a local partner organization, he worked together with Samaritan’s Purse to drill wells and set up a reverse osmosis water treatment system in his city to supply clean water for up to 500 people a day. Plans are now also in place to install a second water purification system that will double this capacity.
“We hear hundreds of thanks from people for everything we do,” said Oleksander. “I am grateful just as a person that lives in the city for all the efforts made by our organization and Samaritan’s Purse to help the entire district.”
Oksana: ‘This Water Saves Us’
Oksana, 43, is a widow responsible for three children. Her daughter is terrified by the shelling and her young son is deeply traumatized from the war. Having to fight to find water has only made things worse.
Now people have the fresh water they needed for drinking, cooking, and other water needs in daily life.
“What does it mean when there is no water in the tap? Fear. We stood from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a small child to get at least something,” said Oksana of her initial attempts to get water from large tanks supplied by the city.
She explained that while clean water was readily available in shops, the prices were so exorbitant that she couldn’t afford to buy any. So, when Samaritan’s Purse and a local partner provided them with clean water, it was a huge relief.
“This water saves us,” said Oksana.
Her well-being has significantly improved because now she can drink water, cook meals, and bathe her children without fear of health hazards. Clean water has brought a sense of normalcy to the chaos of their everyday lives in a region wracked by war.
Anna: ‘Thank You Very Much’
Anna, 60, is a pillar of her community. She used to be a chef in the city where she and her husband had worked heartily for 35 years. When the hydroelectric plant blew up, the aging couple was particularly devastated by the lack of fresh water. They spoke of the stage of the disaster when water was available, but unusable.
Providing clean water in Jesus’ Name has opened doors in the community for the Gospel to be received.
“There is industrial water in the pipes, but you can’t do anything with it,” said Anna. “It’s salty and you can’t cook or bathe with it. Municipal water is not suitable for anything except watering the garden.”
After Samaritan’s Purse and a local partner supplied clean water to the city, Anna said, “Drinking water is provided only thanks to the organization and volunteers who bring clean water directly to our street.”
This new source of water has become a symbol of hope to her community.
“Thank you very much,” said Anna. “The water is very good; people are waiting for it because the water is very high quality, and there is no sediment or greenery. The water is very tasty. You don’t need to boil it; you can drink it right away!”
In order to help point people to Jesus Christ, the source of living water, Samaritan’s Purse has already provided more than 23 million gallons of clean water to war-weary Ukrainians. You can equip us to continue to serve them and also provide this critical resource to others around the globe by giving through the 2023 Christmas Catalog item below.
*Names have been changed for security.
AFTER WAR ERUPTED and water supply lines were attacked and destroyed, residents of a town in Ukraine were left without a water source. Samaritan’s Purse dug a new well that is now producing enough water for the entire community. For about $10,000—or just $20 per person—we can drill a freshwater well in places where safe drinking water is scarce. Your gift will help bring clean water to suffering families and invite them to experience the deep love of Jesus. “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38).
