Life Sustaining Water

It is gentle enough to sooth one’s body and yet mighty enough to weave through the earth creating numerous pathways.
It is powerful enough to destroy whole cities and yet life relies upon its very essence.
Water – it is an intriguing element.

Our bodies are over 60% water and it is essential to life on earth; humans, animals and plants all rely on water to survive. The problem however, is that not all people have access to clean drinking water. This was the problem in Debre Zeyit, Ethiopia although the people did not understand how unclean water could possibly be a danger to them. We tried explaining to them the idea of germs and bacteria; however, we had no way of showing them what we were talking about.

Through a generous, heartfelt donation from a wonderful 9th grader, we were able to buy a microscope for the school. Using this microscope we were able to show the students at the BCI Academy what they were drinking. Complete shock was written on their faces after glimpsing in the microscope and seeing the germs and bacteria. They finally grasped the idea that there are things that are too small for the human eye to detect and it was moving to see the light bulb turn on when they truly comprehended the idea of ‘dirty water’. Looks can be deceiving.

Now that the children really understand what they are drinking, we need to partner together to do something about it, to make a change. To show them was a fantastic first step to success, but they cannot change their ways unless we help them. Many of them do not have access to clean water even though they understand the importance of it. So we have developed a solution.

For $10 a month, one family can receive clean water for a full month through the use of aquatabs. These are chlorine tablets that are placed in the water and after 30 minutes, the water is safe to drink. This has the potential to change lives. We started using the aquatabs with the children in the BCI Foster Home to see if this would help the situation. The younger kids in the foster home were going to the hospital every 3-4 weeks because of water related illnesses. After just a couple weeks using the aquatabs, we have never seen them with so much energy and vitality. They are happier and more outgoing, with less incidences of diarrhea and even better, less trips to the doctor!

We have found a solution to provide our children with clean water and better health, but we cannot do this without you. You are an important element, you are as essential as water is. With your donation, you will be able to supply the clean drinking water so many children and families are in need of. Will you supply living water to these families?