For a family struggling with chronic illness, the future is now bright.
John and his wife, Mary Rose were born and have lived their whole lives in Gashora. They are farmers, but their farm is small. Often, they must find work as day laborers to be able to pay school fees for their three children. Over the years, they have been able to build a small home and are able to provide food for their children.
But they were not able to access clean drinking water for their family.
The only source of water that they could afford was from the swamp. At times, John and Mary Rose would try to buy safe drinking water, but they couldn’t afford the expense. So, they continued to drink unsafe water and their health suffered.
John, Mary Rose, and their children suffered from chronic diarrhea, allergies, scabies, and stomach problems. The health center is a long distance from their home. So, they would purchase medicine from a nearby pharmacy to try and treat these sicknesses. Even then, at least three times each month, one of the family members would need to be transported to the health clinic for treatment.
The cost of treatment was staggering.
Then, a volunteer told John and Mary Rose that they had been selected to receive a SAM3 Household Filter through the Water Project. Volunteers taught them to maintain the filter and basic health and hygiene practices to improve the health of the family. After training, they were able to take their filter home.
After they started using their filter, all their illnesses disappeared. Their family now goes months without needing to go to the health clinic. In a few short months, they were able to save enough money to repair and improve their home. They now welcome their neighbors to use the filter, strengthening the ties in their community. For a family that struggled with chronic illness, the future is now bright.
We hear this story again and again. Starting by improving health, access to clean water empowers families. Strong families lead to strong communities. And strong communities can unleash exponential good.
