Though we may not fully understand the worth of water, there are those around the world whose wells have run dry and who live in desperate need of something to drink.
By Kara Boda, communications advisor for Samaritan’s Purse Canada
Thomas Fuller, an English writer in the 1700s, once said, “We never know the worth of water till the well is dry.”
As I reflect on my day, I realize that Fuller’s quote applies to me. My beloved morning cup of coffee, the wet comb I ran through my hair before work, the sips from my water bottle between meetings all required water. And each task, which is such a regular part of my daily routine, passed unnoticed.
But if I were living in Tana River, a region in Kenya plagued by drought, those mundane, normal activities would suddenly stand out. Chances are, I wouldn’t have any water to spare for a cup of espresso. And if I did, the people there who are desperate for water to provide for their families and their livestock would be devastated.
Isn’t it strange how a snapshot of life in a different part of the world can place our own lives in such a different light?
Samaritan’s Purse has been working in the Tana River region since 2011. So far, we have excavated reservoirs, dug wells, and trucked in emergency drinking water. In one community, we rehabilitated a reservoir so that it can hold as much water as five and a half Olympic-size swimming pools!
But frankly, the drought is so far-reaching that it will take more resources for us to impact the countless people struggling against dehydration and death.
Please partner with us as we serve people in the Tana River region and around the world with our clean water projects. And please support the Kenyan people in prayer as well. With our next morning cup of coffee (or whatever daily activity requiring water that we take for granted), let’s take a moment and lift up to God the people of the Tana River region.
For though we may not fully understand the worth of water, there are those around the world whose wells have run dry and live in desperate need of something to drink.
