Friday, September 10, 2010

The Gift of Water

The water situation or the access to clean drinking water is a problem of major proportions for many Kenyans.  In 2007, I travelled to a very hot part of  Kenya to a community called Marigat, located north of Nakuru. There I was introduced to a missionary, a Kenyan national, who was hoping to build a church for the people and bring water to them as well.

I could not raise the funds myself to build a proper well in the community.  Neither did I know anyone or any organization that could bring water to the people. I did what I always do in this situation. I prayed and I scoured the internet for anyone that could help the people I had met; whether it was regarding water or any of the many other needs required in the villages I had visited.

One day, one such group I wrote to was located in Trinidad and Tobago. The group is called Is There Not a Cause. With very little information, the Executive Director, said that her group would visit my friend, Pastor Jonah and his people in Kenya.  While she couldn't be specific about the kind of help her group could provide, she promised to do something.

Many months later, this group did indeed visit Kenya. You can read more about their arrival in Kenya here . I was so happy to hear that they made it to Kenya.  In fact, I was overjoyed!  You see it had been my experience up to that point in time to have many people promise to do something for these Kenyan friends of mine.  In the end those who made promises failed to follow through.

This group indeed made good on their promise. They did many things while in Kenya and brought much relief to the people. You can read the series on their missions trip by clicking here.  On the trip to the community of Marigat in August 2009, one of the young people on that trip  felt touched to help the community get a well and the gift of clean water. You can read about their visit to Marigat here.  After the team returned home to Trinidad they raised the funds needed to dig the well and slowly the work of putting the well in place began.

In November 2009, a water survey was done and the geologist found water in Marigat. This was a huge blessing. Please read the story here.  In February 2010, preparatory work was still on going. You can read about some of this background here.

Well you can see that it has taken just over a year.  But at last the other day, Pastor Jonah sent me a message to say that the drilling trucks were on there way to Marigat to begin drilling the well>  Jonah also said that he was on the way to meet the lorries and the drillers and also the community members of Marigat. You can imagine the excitement and surprise I had. I can also imagine that the villagers in Marigat were even more excited than I was as they have literally been waiting for years and years to get clean water!!!

Here are a few photos of the lorries and the scenes in Marigat this past few days.

The lorry convoy makes it's way from Nairobi to Marigat.

A close up of one of several lorries on the way to Marigat, Kenya to dig the new well.

A drilling lorrie gets stuck in the mud. The irony is that this area doesn't get a lot of rain or water to make mud on the roads.
Here the people are praying before the digging begins.
This is a typical village hut in Marigat. A mother and her child who will benefit from the community well stand in front of their home.
Representatives from Life Water International meet with the beneficiaries of the well. Life Water has been contracted to over see the drilling of the well.

I hope you enjoyed this post. If you or any of your friends would like to help some of the Kenyan villagers, please read more about the Missions of Hope, here and here.

17 comments:

OneStonedCrow said...

A great cause - hats off to all who made it possible, including you.

This is a problem all over Africa and indeed, many parts of he world - I've watched women carrying heavy loads of water on their heads for miles in order to do the basic things that most of us take for granted ...

well done!

Joyful said...

Thank you Graham! So many people were involved in getting this gift of water to the people of Marigat. I know how huge a blessing would be to these people or in fact to any of the villagers on the continent of Africa. Special kudos go to my friend Jonah who has been the go between and tried to ensure this project did indeed move forward and that the right things happened at the right time. Glad you enjoyed the post.

Bossy Betty said...

Such a simple thing, so important. We take so much for granted....

Katy ~ said...

You are among the angels on this earth, I think, to help make miracles happen for those who are in need. Bless you!

Joyful said...

Betty, yes we do take so much for granted in North America. Even those who don't have a job can usually find some shelter, food and clean water.

Joyful said...

Katy, you are very sweet. But really I am doing what I think we all can do, whether we do it here at home for those in need or for those abroad. Thanks for dropping in and giving me some love :-)

jabblog said...

Fresh clean water is something everyone in the West takes for granted. We don't generally consider where it comes from or how it arrives in our pipes. The people of Marigat must feel blessed to have a well. What would they think if they saw how easy it is for us?

Ginny Hartzler said...

Hi Joyful, I'm wondering what your name is and where you live. Feel free to e-mail me and tell me a bit about yourself. thanks for dropping by my blog! this water drilling looks so much like what our church does in Haiti, your pictures remind me of our pictures!

Heidrun Khokhar, KleinsteMotte said...

It is sad that there is such a huge basic need and so few willing to help. Water, clean from a well. There are so many places without it and so few who will share to give it. What a blessing that the group you care for is finally getting a well. God bless you all.

Joyful said...

Ginny, thanks for stopping by. Please visit again soon! So great that you are doing good work in Haiti. It is sorely needed there.

Joyful said...

Jabblog, it is so true what you say. So true.The people of Marigat will be blessed by the well. There is no doubt about that. They would probably be flabbergasted to know how much water some people waste when they get a drink of water from the tap, wash their faces or brush their teeth. I'm learning to cut down in water usage myself.

Joyful said...

Thank you KleinsteMotte. God bless you also. xx

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

what a wonder work you are doing, to give the gift of life.

Did we at some stage exchange comments?

http://annkschin.blogspot.com/2008/11/charity-to-deaf-in-kenya-foodsale.html

I told a fellow blogger about this, and I have a feeling it was you. I used to support a school for the Deaf until four years ago when I left Singapore for New Zealand.
The school is Oyugi School for the Deaf in Kenya.

Thank you for visiting.

Ann

Joyful said...

Hello Ann, Yes! It was me that exchanged comments with you about the charitable works you were involved in. Thank you for visiting :-)

Joyful said...

Thank you KleinsteMotte. God bless you also. xx

Joyful said...

You are among the angels on this earth, I think, to help make miracles happen for those who are in need. Bless you!

Joyful said...

Such a simple thing, so important. We take so much for granted....

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