How is Nokomis Heights responding to the world water crisis?
One in 9 people in our world lack access to clean water; 48% of people in sub-Saharan Africa lack clean water. Women and girls in that region walk up to 6 hours daily to fetch water from whatever dirty sources they can find. Since 2010, Nokomis Heights has been responding to the world water crisis by partnering with Water to Thrive to provide clean, safe sources of water for people in rural Ethiopia who were previously in need. To date, NHLC has funded 9 clean water projects, 8 of which have been completed. Six of them are spring protection systems; 2 are hand dug wells. Through our funding, we have made clean water available to at least the 4,435 people who are within 1 kilometer of the water project. It is likely that as many as twice that number have benefited, because people will gladly walk more than 1 kilometer to get to a clean water source, having been used to walking much farther only to get dirty water.
Six of the projects funded by NHLC are located in Tigray, in the northern part of Ethiopia. You may be aware that the Tigray area is experiencing considerable ethnic fighting. Thousands have died and millions of people have been displaced. It is estimated that 91 percent of Tigray’s population (5.2 million people) are in need of emergency food assistance now. Recently, hostilities have lessened. Water to Thrive has been informed by its implementing partner Relief Society of Tigray (REST) that as fighting ceases, they will begin the process of rehabilitating any water projects damaged in the fighting. The other two among our projects that have been completed so far are in other areas of Ethiopia (one west and one south of Addis Ababa). Those two projects are benefiting at least the 3,125 people who are within 1 kilometer of one of those completed projects.
Please pray for those around our world who lack access to clean water and for the people of Tigray, Ethiopia. And thank you for your generous support to provide the blessings of clean, safe water to those in need. We look forward to keeping you informed about the work on the ninth water project our congregation has funded.
God’s work. Our hands.
