Water: Burden to Blessing

Written BY: Joshua Kurtz

Water accessibility is an issue that shouldn’t exist. The global community has been aware of the issue for decades. Charities, NGOs, governments, and aid agencies have set goals and invested into solutions in developing countries. So why is water accessibility still an issue after so much time and resources have been spent? Why do children still collect water from dirty water sources? Why, after so many awareness campaigns, are mothers still walking long distances to collect water for their family’s daily needs? With all our modern access to information and technology, why is water accessibility still an issue for so many? These are questions that I’ve been working through and trying to understand.

In March 2019, I had the opportunity to go to Uganda and train four men on how to survey water points within a 2 mile radius of their village. Our goal was to train reputable men that live within the community. Empowering locals is crucial for a few reasons. Individuals who live within the community know and understand their community best. Empowering them to learn how to assess, analyze, and generate solutions for water issues within their community is a sustainable way forward that can in turn produce confidence, purpose, and even possibly employment opportunities.

Since the March training session, these men have surveyed local water sources and found that the situation is worse than they had originally thought. Of 49 hand pumps surveyed to date, 40% are not working at all, and 52% pump some water but are in need of repair. 40% of water tested from these differing water points tested positive for Coliform, which is an indicator of the presence of harmful bacteria like E. Coli.

While initial feedback is disheartening, it gives insight to the current issues. Our surveyors also conveyed that community members generally lack understanding of how wells work and how water quality impacts their health. Local leaders also identified the grand majority of water points have no maintenance plan. Without a plan, future development of water sources becomes problematic. The surveyors have made some initial conclusions education is needed regarding how water pumps work and how water sources could be maintained.

One of the more encouraging moments from the surveyor’s training was seeing these men we trained grow in their sense of worth and dignity. Manisulu, a 32 year old man who is a boda (motorcycle taxi) driver, expressed deep gratitude for the training, education, and work that he’s been empowered to do within his community. He feels a greater sense of purpose by serving his community through evaluating and understanding his community’s water issues. Manisulu is now participating in helping to generate solutions that will impact his entire community.

The issue of water accessibility is not new. We find stories throughout the Bible, of individuals and communities wrestling with how to resolve issues of hunger and thirst. After Israel had passed through the Red Sea and began their journey into the wilderness, the people were thirsty. Moses then comes across an open water source, but the water was bitter. The people complained to Moses and Moses cried out to God to help him find a solution. The Lord did not provide a new water source but showed Moses how to be resourceful, providing a type of wood that could be placed in the water to make the water sweet. When Moses placed this wood in the water, it changed the water, making it drinkable. The people drank and they were sustained. In the same way, identifying what water sources are available and looking for solutions that exist within this Ugandan community becomes a sustainable approach.

Bringing long term, sustainable change to a community will take time. Empowering people to bring change to their situation requires patience, perseverance, and dedication that necessitate reliance on God’s help. This was the Lord’s approach, and it is our approach also. We want to work with the people, to make water a resource that is a blessing rather than a burden.