Hope for Medary: Mothers and Children in Mexico Experience Healing Through Safe Water

Until recently, families in La Union, Mexico, used water from a spring contaminated from animal fecal matter. The water flowed from the spring, through pipes, and right into their homes—untreated.  Medary is raising her six-year-old son, David, here. She describes David as an energetic boy who loves to play outside with his friends. To protect David from unsafe water, Medary used to travel two hours to buy bottled water.

“The cost of transportation and buying water affected our family,” Medary shares. “We don’t have much income.”   Even though Medary was diligent about keeping her son healthy, David often drank unsafe water from the faucet after playing outside in the heat with friends. Medary says David’s last illness caused him to miss more than a month of kindergarten. 

“The baby got really sick with vomiting and diarrhea. He couldn’t eat at all, so we took him to the doctor. They ran blood tests [which] showed that he had hepatitis A. The doctor explained the reason for the sickness was because the water had [fecal matter]. He also had salmonella and typhoid,” Medary says. “We were desperate because, even [though] he got treatment, how could we avoid it happening again?”  When Water Mission implemented a safe water project in La Union, Medary was overjoyed.

“With bottled water, you use it for drinking. But what about when you need to wash vegetables and fruit or wash your hands?” Medary explains. “When you have [safe water] in the tap at home, then you can use safe water for everything.” 

Now, water is gravity-fed into a Water Mission treatment system, stored in a tank that serves the entire community, and flowing straight into people’s home taps. The system provides nearly 70,000 liters of water daily to La Union, enough for all the community’s residents.

After seeing the positive effects of safe water on her son’s health, Medary joined La Union’s Safe Water Committee to help ensure that her community would continue to have safe water.

“When the community saw that there were more women [on] the Safe Water Committee, they were uncomfortable because [our] culture doesn’t want women to take control or be in charge of things,” Medary says. “But women here are the ones who cook, wash, and take care of the family. So, we know the problems [with water] and we must represent them.” 

Because of your generosity and partnership, Medary no longer worries about her son having water-related illnesses.  “My family and I are so thankful to Water Mission, and all the people who have supported this project…. I’m so grateful that my son will grow up with safe water. Water Mission came to this place without knowing us, giving without asking for anything. They give and love and show that God‘s love is shown by loving others.”