A brand new addition to the community of Alikmola has transformed their lives for the better. Before they had access to safe, clean water, the members of this community had a grueling 90 minute walk one way to get dirty water that the animals also used. This not only led to many water-borne diseases being common in the village, but also forced them to spend countless hours each week getting a basic need to survive.
Simon Ojak, a 75 year old veteran of the Ugandan military and a father of seven says, “Drinking unsafe water has caused my children and I to have so many stomach pains. With this clean and safe water source my family will not spend a lot of money on treatments like we used to.” This is the truth for many families in the Alikmola village. Having access to clean water allows so much more than just saving time, but also monetary freedom.
More than that, this well represents the love of Christ to those in the community. The people had attempted many government-led programs, but to no avail. With the church helping to provide clean water to people regardless of religion, it is a true testament to what the Gospel is about. This daily reminder about the love of God will hopefully lead many to experience the living water offered by Jesus Christ.
This well is also a first step of hopefully many. The village of Alikomola is full of opportunities to keep serving. Other programs such as Hunger to Harvest, Women of Hope, and Magi can be extremely beneficial to this community. With so many potential programs, HHI is excited to see all the growth that will happen in this community!