The beginning of the year at Muketuri Mission is marked by the driest month of the year, which is actually the ideal time for excavating and drilling wells in the Wuchale Woreda region of Ethiopia which has been declared a “food-insecure zone”.

For us missionaries, while being able to bring water to these communities is a source of joy and a sign of hope, for the beneficiary families, it is a drastic turning point in their lives – a stark “before” and “after”!

Alemu, an elderly man of 70 years, would stand watching us everyday that we visited his village of Lego: from the moment we marked the water source with a water diviner, to the arrival of the drilling machine, and the start of the drilling works.

I ambled over to greet him, and he said that throughout his life, he has seen people passing through, promising to bring water to his village, but they never returned. Now, it seems that this will finally be fulfilled.

When we reached the aquifer and saw the first burst of water, I looked for Alemu. He was deeply moved; he gave me a strong hug and said: “Now I can die. God allowed me to live long enough for my eyes to see water in the village. Now I know that my wife, my children, my grandchildren, and everyone in this village – who are family to me – will live a new life with clean water available. It is the start of a new stage.”

In Lego, women and children used to walk two hours to collect water from a contaminated water source or three hours for clean water.

This is just one testimony from among many of people who benefited from the water wells drilled this year. Our profound gratitude goes to all who had a hand in making this life-changing shift possible.

Blanca Beltrán, MCSPA

Muketuri Mission [Ethiopia]

On February 8th, we celebrated the drilling of a 90 meters well with the installation of a solar pump, a 10,000-liter water tank, a fountain with 8 taps, and a drinking point for animals in the village of Igukura, in Wuchale Woreda, Ethiopia.

93 families, now have enough water to meet their basic needs like health, hygiene, and nutrition.

The impact of bringing water to a community is bigger than we can imagine. A grandmother from the village told us that without enough water, they were at risk of all sorts of diseases like cholera, skin infections, stomach issues, and infections during childbirth because of poor hygiene. Now that water is closer, women and girls won’t have to walk for kilometers carrying 20 liters on their backs, facing all sorts of dangers along the way, not to mention suffering from back pain, problems during pregnancy and childbirth.

Another big plus is that they’ll now be able to grow vegetables for their families to eat and also sell, which will improve their nutrition and bring in some extra income. This will help families afford things like sending kids to school and paying for medical expenses.

A big thank you to all who made this possible and helped improve the lives of the people in Igukura.

by Blanca Beltran, MCSPA

ETHIOPIA