The villagers of Umuoru Usmuode in Nigeria were tired.
Each morning, the children of the village would venture out with buckets to walk the long, dangerous road to the nearest water source. By the time they filled their buckets from the dirty, shallow stream two miles from the village, they were already late for school.
Even after lugging nearly half their body weight in water, the contents of their containers never lasted more than a day. It was impossible for them to fetch enough water for the crops, so the harvest was always sparse. The hot African sun made the crops as thirsty as the farmers tending them.
“Really, water is part of life, for life cannot exist without it,” one villager said.
And he was right. Without a source of clean water, the people of Umuoru Usmuode were barely living. Dirty water made their lives harder — and it made them sick.
But despite all their struggles, they still had hope.
The people knew that other villages in Nigeria had received wells that brought clean water to their communities. And they clung to the hope that one day they, too, would have a well.
They just didn’t know how or when … until generous donors gave money to dig a well in Umuoru Usmudoe.
It was the moment they had been praying for, and it was a chance for a better future.
When the well was finally completed, a man named Chukwuma erupted into celebration, thanking the people who had given his village this precious gift:
You brought to our doorstep this miraculous water to relieve us from the untold hardship of going to a distant place to get good water. Water is real life, much more when we get it so easily. May God richly bless you!
For the villagers in Umuoru Usmuode, having clean water changes everything. Now their children can go to school and learn, and their crops can grow and flourish. To these people, they haven’t just received the gift of clean water; they have received the gift of a better life.
When you donate to help dig wells and support water projects, you’re promoting health, education, and success for struggling communities like Umuoru Usmuode. And you’re bringing the hope of Jesus to the nations.When you donate to help dig wells and support water projects, you’re promoting health, education, and success for struggling communities like Umuoru Usmuode. And you’re bringing the hope of Jesus to the nations.