Country | South Sudan |
Village | Nakamita |
Type | Well |
Partner | Heaven’s Family |
Cost | $12,000 |
Status | Complete |
Nakamita is located approximately 8km northwest of Narus (click) in South Sudan. The nearest well is 5 km away in Kokoro village, but it’s a contaminated well. The people are impoverished, mostly herders of the Toposa tribe. A seasonal pond is their rain season water source, it’s fills with rainwater and decreases over the months. During dry season they travel to the far seasonal river called Loyoro and walk long distance carrying water. They dig around the banks to naturally filter the water, but it’s still very unsafe to drink and very dirty. Also, they may use some hand dug wells more nearby. It takes so much time to get water and if anyone bathes they have to wait for the water to settle before fetching some for drinking and home use. They heavily ration water. Typhoid, dehydration, and malaria are common as are skin conditions. They desperately need water!
Our ministry partner on the ground here, John Wanyonyi and his wife Esther, have been serving in South Sudan for 12 years and they have established a church in Kwaria 5 years ago. He has demonstrated his dedication to the work to further the kingdom of Jesus. He is associated with Big Life, a ministry whose mission is to work to be effective in disciple-making ministry and disciple multiplication for believers to follow Jesus vs. being a superficial convert. We have been working with Big Life as a ministry partner through Strategic Bible Ministry for some years and are now helping to serve to meet the urgent need for clean water through Big Life affiliates working among under-served groups and unreached people groups.
John writes, “when I go to Nakamita I cannot wash my hands before eating. They are cleaner than if washing in water that 10 more had already washed their hands in.” Great things are happening among the people as far as advancing the kingdom. For baptism, people go to Kokoro where the contaminated well is. On a recent visit team member, Lokai Oscar, had to drink that water. Soon after drinking it he developed a sickness and still has a serious cough due to the water.
This project will provide clean, pure drinking water and as a result reduce water-borne disease which has caused such sickness and loss of life. Their lives will be changed immediately. It will also improve their economy because they will not spend much on medication and lost time being sick. The enormous amount of time spent to fetch water will be reduced making much more time for women to take care of their families and complete household tasks such as bathing and cooking. They will be able be able to water their animals. The impact on growing more gardens is not yet determined. The potential to help advance the kingdom among the people is great.
The well in Nakamita, South Sudan is complete! The villagers have wasted no time to begin to drink abundant, clean water from the new deep well for their village!