A Cup of Blessing
As a widow raising two grandchildren in Rwanda’s Uruhuha village, Beatrice Mukashaka has had a difficult life. Despite her hardships, Beatrice has been a longtime active member of the Pentecostal church in her village. She enjoys going to church every Sunday with her grandsons, Kevin and Fabrice, who are 6 and 3 years old.
When World Relief began mobilizing churches across Uruhuha to serve the most vulnerable in their communities, church leaders recognized that Beatrice needed shelter. So, with the support of volunteers, they built her a house. In addition to the house, Beatrice’s church was also able to provide items she needed to pursue a healthier lifestyle. This included providing a SAM3 household filter through the Water Project.
Right away, the filter began making a significant difference in the family’s life.
Prior to receiving the filter, Kevin and Fabrice would often reject Beatrice’s attempts to serve them water. Despite taking the time to boil their water, they still complained that it tasted dirty. Now that they have the filter, the boys often ask Beatrice to pour them a glass of clean water. These are requests which she gleefully obliges.
Like many who rely on natural water sources such as nearby lakes, Kevin was prone to waterborne illness. Since having access to the SAM3 filter, Kevin says that he is happier and healthier than he has ever been. To ensure his continued health, Beatrice makes sure to fetch her water from a nearby Rain Water Harvest System, which was also built as a part of the Water Project.
In an interview, Beatrice shared how grateful she feels toward her church, and organizations like 20 Liters and World Relief who help empower churches to serve their communities.
As the recipient of these blessings, she has made a commitment to steward and share what she has received to the best of her ability.
She plans to maintain her SAM3 filter so that it can serve her family and those around her for years to come. Already, she is seeing how this commitment is allowing her blessings to radiate outward into her community as she offers visitors, neighbors, and passerby one of the greatest gifts she has to offer: a cup of clean water to drink.
