|
The people of Dzuwa and the surrounding community have many reasons to smile and praise the Lord. Most people now have access to fresh water, but easy access to clean drinking water was something they couldn't have even dreamed of just a few years ago. When JTW came to Dzuwa village in 2006, there were so many needs that it was difficult to decide where to start. But the most obvious problem was the lack of clean and fresh water. Diseases caused by unclean water, such as diarrhea and dysentery, were very common. Women and children, who were the most affected by these diseases, had to walk long distances to fetch water, but the little water that they found was not very clean. People often had to drink the same water as the livestock, especially during the dry season. Because of the shortage of clean water and the lack of methods to purify it, waterborne diseases quickly spread through the villages. Realizing the dangers this water problem posed to the community, JTW embarked on a fresh water project. The aim was to ensure that the people had access to fresh water in order to curb the prevailing waterborne diseases that had dogged the community and had brought so much suffering for so long. In 2006, JTW constructed ten shallow wells in ten villages under the governance of the Chief of Dzuwa, but the need was still great. By God's grace in 2007, JTW was able to provide another twenty-one shallow wells in twenty-one villages. In 2008, JTW partnered with Marion Medical Mission, an organization which specializes in providing clean water in rural areas, and constructed seven more wells. Though the risk of waterborne diseases was reduced, there was still need for a permanent solution to the water problem, since some shallow wells could run dry in the summer. Towards the end of 2009, the water project entered a new phase, one that the people of Dzuwa and the surrounding areas will remember for a long time. A four-member team from the High Desert Church in California arrived in Dzuwa village. Led by Pastor Scott Thibodo and using funds raised by its generous congregation, the group had a mission to bless the people of Dzuwa with two boreholes: the deep wells that run all year round, even during droughts. When the drilling company had finished working on the first deep well, and the first drops of fresh water gushed from the ground, members of the community who had gathered to witness the occasion went crazy with excitement. "I've been in this village for so many years, but never in my life did I ever expect that the people of this village would drink such clean water. This is God at work. I feel like life has finally come to Dzuwa," commented one elderly villager. The following day, another deep well was drilled, and the excitement was overwhelming. You could see a sense of relief on the faces of the spectators, especially the women who had always had to walk great distances with huge pails of water on their heads just to provide water for their families. In the meantime, the High Desert Church has pledged to construct five more deep wells in Dzuwa area. To view a video about the High Desert Church "Essentials" water project, click here. "The construction of these wells has had a great impact on many people's lives, not only in Dzuwa village, but in other surrounding villages as well. Out of all the wells, only one well is not working, and plans are under way to repair it." comments Mr. Elliot Khembo, JTW National Director, who is based in Dzuwa. In all, JTW and its gracious partners and donors have installed thirty-one shallow wells since 2006 and two deep wells since 2008, and there are plans for many more. "Surely no one can stop the people of Dzuwa from smiling," adds McDonald Mkwezalamba.
|
