Until recently, the people of Akuja had to rely on open wells, which dry out, and unsanitary local streams to get their drinking water.

"Theirs is a generation that will not have to go through the hardship their parents went through to get fresh water," said OBI's Okey Onwundiwe.

LONDWADI, India - At age 70, Bhalkar Anjana Bai was in no position to work. AKUJA, Nigeria - For the people of Akuja village, the 1.2-mile trek to fetch water was hardly worth the trouble.

During the dry season in north-central Nigeria, wind blowing in from the Sahara desert causes Akuja's open-air wells to dry up, forcing villagers to walk long distances to reach water.

When they do finally reach a water source, villagers not only use it for drinking, bathing, or filling-up buckets to cook meals, but also to water their livestock.

"The only place [other than the dry wells] we can get water from is a stream in the wilderness which sheep and cattle also drink from," explained Angelina, a local villager.

Such practices can be lethal, as diseases like typhus, cholera, dysentery and malaria are often carried in the polluted water of communal streams and contaminated wells.

On an international scale, the World Health Organization estimates that a child dies every eight seconds due to a water-related disease.

Working through donations to the Water Wells and Cisterns program, Operation Blessing recently dug a well and built a pump for the 1,500-person community of Akuja.

"Life here has been very hard for us and our children," said Village Head Adindu Dogara. "We try to dig wells, but they dry up and we find it difficult getting fresh water. Thank you so much for helping us."

During the dedication ceremony, students from the community school performed a dance of appreciation.

"Theirs is a generation that will not have to go through the hardship their parents went through to get fresh water," said OBI's Okey Onwundiwe at the well dedication.

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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