Community Development Archives

Stronger After the Storm: Safe Water for the Bahamas

Posted July 8th, 2021 by Jason Young.

As Hurricane Dorian hovered over the Bahamas, its 185 mph winds churned up seawater and created a 20-foot storm surge that contaminated wells and freshwater sources. Though surrounded by ocean, much of the nation was without a source of safe water. Hurricane Dorian, one of the largest Category 5 Atlantic hurricanes on record, left more than 70,000 people homeless. With the help of partners like you, Water Mission responded immediately in the wake of this disaster. We installed four reverse osmosis (RO) systems to meet the urgent need for safe water. Designed by Water Mission partner, Parker Hannifin, these systems use a specialized water purification process to filter saltwater before it ... Read More

Safe, Clean Water Improves Community Health in Honduras

Posted June 24th, 2021 by Water Mission.

Until a year and a half ago, families living in Guayaman, Honduras, were tormented by sickness. Though water is plentiful in this region of western Honduras, it is often unsafe to drink. Unfortunately, for people like Onan Aguilar Contreras, using water from contaminated sources was the only option. Onan and his family no longer have to drink contaminated water and suffer from water-related illnesses. “Our life was very difficult,” recalls the father of four, “since we drank water that caused many illnesses in our home—including diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain.” Guayaman is in the Intibucá Department, which has one of the highest percentages of extreme poverty in Honduras. Residents could not afford to purchase water from the ... Read More

World Refugee Day: Trauma Healing for South Sudanese Refugees

Posted June 16th, 2021 by Water Mission.

Water Mission is committed to bringing safe and Living Water to our global neighbors impacted by disaster and humanitarian crises. On June 20, we acknowledge the United Nations World Refugee Day as we have in past years, shining a light on the refugees we serve alongside the local church. Uganda’s Rhino Camp is one of the large refugee settlements where Water Mission is serving people with safe water and sanitation. While providing for physical needs, Water Mission staff are also attending to the spiritual well-being in communities by sharing the love and hope of Jesus Christ. More than 100 Christian leaders were recently trained as trauma healing ... Read More

A Father’s Joy Flowing From Safe Water

Posted June 15th, 2021 by Water Mission.

Being a father is both joy and responsibility. It means experiencing delight and wonder, along with the pressure and desire to provide a good life for the family that is so loved. In the rural community of Francisco Madero, on the outskirts of Tapachula, Mexico, Hipolito Avila knows the challenges well. He and his wife, Martha, struggled to provide for their family of five without access clean, safe water. Hipolito’s community once drew water from local wells or streams—contaminated sources that regularly caused waterborne illnesses. He saw the water’s negative effects, particularly in children and the elderly. These most fragile of his neighbors, unfortunately, experienced the worst health impacts of the contaminated water. With God’s providence, Water Mission learned of the ... Read More

Safe Water for Haiti: Gladys’ Story

Posted June 8th, 2021 by Water Mission.

There are no paved roads leading to the village of Capity, Haiti. This isolated farming community tucked into the mountains of Haiti’s Artibonite region is home to Gladys and her family. Gladys and her children used to wake up in the middle of the night to walk into the mountains to collect water. The steep roads were treacherous in the dark, but they needed the daylight hours to tend to their farm. It took everyone in the family working together to carry the buckets home, heavy with water for drinking and watering their animals. Gladys did her best to bring back extra water for neighbors who were unable to make the journey into the mountains. There was ... Read More

Disaster Response: Water is Life in Texas and Around the World

Posted May 26th, 2021 by Water Mission.

Anna Margaret lives in the rolling hills of Austin, Texas. Her family was one of the millions left without access to safe water after the record-shattering Texas winter storms in February. She and her children initially lost power in the first few days of the winter storm. When the electricity came back on, the heat did not. Knowing this put her pipes at risk, Anna Margaret ensured she had emergency water jugs and a bathtub full of water. After four days trying to keep her children warm in the cold house, a pipe finally burst in the middle of the night. She awoke to find water gushing from her house. Like thousands of Texans, freezing temperatures caused the pipes in Anna Margaret’s home to burst. As the downstairs flooded, ... Read More

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