Desperate families from six villages in Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Haut-Uélé Province enjoy reliable access to clean water through a Samaritan’s Purse WASH project.
Kumane lived far from the water she was tasked with gathering every day, and sometimes she’d return from the source with empty jerry cans. Sometimes fights would break out at the water point as women vied for the little water coming out of a broken system.
“The water was not clean and also the pipe had already broken,” she said. “So we dug holes around the area to draw water with cups.”
This could be measured in ounces at times, which meant no water for the day for her and her family.
Reliable access to springs has provided an abundance of water and restored peace to six villages in Haut-Uele Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Kumane was from one of six villages all drawing from the same source, and often it wasn’t safe even to travel there.
Aboguone Jean-Pierre, chief over the villages, described the bleak situation.
“About 15,000 of us live here. We had difficulties with water; we didn’t drink safe water, and many children and adults suffered from stomachaches,” the chief said. “It was evident we were not drinking clean water.”
And if the women came too late in the day, they faced the threat of being attacked by young men lying in ambush.
“There were fights, injuries, and even incidents of assault when women and children had to fetch water late at night,” Chief Aboguone said. “Mothers pushed each other. They pulled at each other’s clothes.”
Blessed by Clean Water and God’s Word
When the village invited a team of Samaritan’s Purse water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) specialists to visit the area, they discovered the immediate need for multiple water points that would allow springs to flow freely through new piping systems.
A clean water committee was formed and Samaritan’s Purse instructors taught about protecting ground water, good hygiene practices, and spring maintenance and repair.
The team also heard from local leaders who said how desperately the local schools needed functional latrines. This would help improve the hygiene of students and school faculty and, even more important, help protect groundwater from contamination by waterborne pathogens coming from human waste.
Our team got to work, first by forming a water committee at each of the selected villages. They also established hygiene club at the schools. Local leaders got involved in the construction of the water and latrine systems, and this vital connection strengthened our relationships with village leaders. This approach encouraged personal responsibility for the use and maintenance of the WASH project while also rebuilding harmony and collaboration between villages.
Soon, the new piping system was channeling clean water from six springs that were strategically located for ease of access. Latrines, along with handwashing stations, were operating at two schools. And in the process, residents from the region were introduced to the Word of God. Many received Bibles of their own, in their own languages.
A man named Motoba, a local leader and member of the water management committee, learned to read the Bible after the weeks-long training and installation by the WASH team. During the instruction and during the hard work of constructing the system, the team talked about the Living Water, Jesus Christ.
“When Samaritan’s Purse came here, they began opening our understanding concerning the Gospel,” he said. “We here did not know how to read the Gospels. As I am here, I did not know how to read the Bible well. But when Samaritan’s Purse came, I was taught, and they also taught me how to understand the Bible. That really gave us joy.”
Zakuda Mohammed, who directs a local Islamic school, said the project was an opportunity for him to see Christians helping all their neighbors.
Leaders of a local Muslim school were blessed by Samaritan’s Purse and grateful for Christians willing to serve them.
“When I saw the latrine, I referred to the Bible and realized these people are true Samaritans, like the one who helped a man who fell on the road,” he said, referring to what he read in Luke 10:25-37. “They are willing to help all of us.”
No More Dangerous Walks to Water
Now that there is enough water for all, the fights have stopped. The danger has passed.
Women and girls such as Kumane now feel safe visiting the springs, and they no longer have to return home with empty water cans.
“Even during the dry season, the water does not dry up,” says Chief Aboguone. “Yes, the water doesn’t dry up, children and mothers can easily draw water.”
One of the women overjoyed by revitalization of water points is the young woman Kumane. She’d witnessed the fights at the old water points. She’d experienced sickness. Many of those days of worry, and the fight for clean water, are over.
“Now there is a real change. We no longer drink contaminated water from streams, and recurring illnesses have reduced significantly,” she said. “I personally suffered stomachaches and illness before, but now I am well. I thank Samaritan’s Purse for helping us. This is work we could never have done alone. We know it is God who gave them the means to help us, and we are grateful!”
