Spring is just around the corner, and, with any season, it has its blessings—the chill of winter fades, new life begins, and we look forward to celebrating the death and resurrection of our Savior. For those in Indonesia, it brings respite from the rainy season, when flooding or landslides, make many roads impassable and put homes at risk for damage. However, spring in Indonesia brings its own problems, especially in rural villages.
Adi Nafamnanu faced the camera, excitement and determination sparkling in his eyes. As he spoke, his hands lifted to his chest, “Kingdom Workers is so special in our hearts, they were really helpful to us. They have brought good changes to our village.”
Change like the clean water tanks Kingdom Workers had recently helped his community build. Adi was eager to continue that work in Niki Niki, Indonesia, where he lives, and that was possible through the recent Community Health Evangelism (CHE) training held in SoE in late March.
The WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) crisis currently impacts 2 billion people according to the World Health Organization. Liana Tyrrell, Malawi Field Manager, shared, “Illnesses caused by contaminated drinking water aren’t just an inconvenience for people in Malawi, they’re actually one of the leading causes of death for children under 5.” But it’s not just contaminated drinking water that is a problem, people also deal with lack of access to proper toilet facilities and handwashing stations.
Every October in Wisconsin, something amazing happens. The humid, thick air of summer shifts to a crisp, cool, northern breeze. Trees exchange their green leaves for more seasonally-appropriate yellows, oranges, and reds. Everywhere you look, a pumpkin-flavored coffee drink is available for a limited time only.
But halfway around the world, it’s a different story.
How much water do you use in one day?
Think about it for a minute.
On average in the United States, one person uses upwards of 80 gallons of water per day.* Water that can be accessed simply by walking to the sink. For most of us, we don't have to worry about gathering, collecting, or storing the water we need for each day of the year.
But for Reza and his family, water had to be collected by carrying as many plastic jugs as they could carry down a hill to the river, fill them, and make the trek back up the hill.