Safe Water for Communities

A Six-Year-Old's Dream: No More Sick Days

August 11, 2016

For children and parents all over the world, the end of summer brings a mixture of anticipation, dread, and excitement around one central event: the start of a new school year. For six-year-old Ximena, she simply cannot wait. This will be Ximena’s first year in school following an attempt last year to get started. But, Ximena was sick so often that she stayed home most of the year. “Ximena was having bouts of diarrhea and vomiting,” explained her mother. “We drank from a well, but found ourselves needing to go to the clinic very often. The doctor told us her sickness was from the dirty water. We had a surface well with sewage in it because it was too close to the pit latrine.”

Ximena, 6-years-old, stands next to her mother outside of their pit latrines, which used to seep into their water source. El Encanto, Mexico

Water Mission Mexico arrived to assess the community of El Encanto, located in the southern-most tip of Mexico between the Pacific Ocean and the Guatemalan border. Though the water was clear, quality testing revealed many contaminants including fecal bacteria. Ximena was one of many in the community of 1,700 people affected by drinking the dirty water every day. On May 3, Water Mission Mexico commissioned a safe water treatment system in El Encanto to serve the entire community. In addition to installing a safe water system, Water Mission Mexico led health and hygiene trainings in the community, focusing on educating the school children in creative ways about the importance of drinking safe water.

Water Mission Mexico finishes the Living Water Treatment System house in El Encanto, Chiapas, Mexico.

Water Mission Mexico staff conduct health and hygiene trainings with school children in El Encanto, Mexico.

Back to School Story. Estephania Castenada Kindergarden School. Six-year-old Ximenia Sales. Water Mission - El Encanto, Mexico 2016

Meet Ximena, six-year-old student at Estephania Castenada Kindergarten School in El Encanto, Mexico.

“I’ve been learning not to drink unsafe water because it makes me sick. The safe water will help me be healthy. And it tastes good!”

- Ximena

“With safe water, we won’t get sick so often,” her mother beams. “Ximena will be able to stay in school and be healthy in the learning process.” What Ximena needed to learn, most of us take for granted. The water we drink should promote health, not disease.

Ximena plays at Estephania Castenada Kindergarten School in El Encanto, Mexico

A brighter future now stretches before Ximena. It is our prayer that with safe water and the benefits of education, Ximena will grow and thrive like any young girl should. Give today to provide hope for more students like Ximena waiting for safe water. GIVE SAFE WATER

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