In Nigeria, the women of Dalle crouch in a shallow pond to collect water to carry back to the village. The polluted water caused a number of illnesses including diarrhea, river blindness, and skin rashes.

DALLE, Nigeria – Every sip of water the people of Dalle drank came from one small, muddy pond.

During the rainy season, there was sometimes a shallow, open well to draw from—but with over 1,200 men, women and children relying on it, the water quickly dried up each year.

So nearly every day, the women of Dalle crouched in the shallow pond to scoop murky water into pails and carry it back to the village. The water was simply stored outside in a big pot, with one communal cup for everybody to drink and fetch water to cook with.

Drinking this polluted water came with a high price. The villagers suffered from river blindness and diarrhea—and many of the children were sick with constant skin rashes due to the pathogens lurking in the water.

The pond water was simply stored outside in a big pot, with one communal cup for everybody to drink and fetch water to cook with.

In nearby Manu Tare, the situation was equally bleak.

There, about 900 villagers drew their water from the same open stream where pigs, sheep and goats came to drink—and where the community came to bathe. As a result, every week anywhere from 5 to 10 people in the community suffered from illnesses like diarrhea, vomiting, skin parasites, and typhoid.

But now both communities have clean, safe water to drink—and all they need to do is turn a tap.

Earlier this year, Operation Blessing partnered with Water Missions International to install two water purifications units in the two villages.

The 1,600-pound water purification systems draw from the pond and stream, and then purify it to make it safe for drinking. Each system has the capacity to purify up to 10,000 gallons of water a day.

Now, hundreds of families have access to fresh, clean water every single day. Almost overnight, the gift of safe water has transformed both communities.

OBI partnered with Water Missions International to install two water purifications units in the villages of Dalle and Manu Tare. "Our children are much healthier now that they have good water,” said one villager from Dalle.

“In just one week, the cases of water-related diseases in Manu Tare dropped to almost zero,” said Scott Hill, international relief manager for OBI. “There’s been a drastic reduction in illness in Dalle, too.”

“We are overwhelmed with joy,” said one of the villagers in Dalle. “And our children are much healthier now that they have good water.”

Over the coming months, OBI plans to install an additional 6 water purification systems in other villages in Nigeria struggling with water-borne diseases.

HOW YOU CAN HELP
Help break the cycle of suffering by giving toward Operation Blessing's water wells and cisterns program. A gift of $1,800 can drill a well for villages and supply families with clean drinking water.

 

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