In South Sudan, schools have shuttered their doors for a brief respite amidst the scorching heat that would otherwise consume their precious time. But this isn't the typical Spring Break getaway to Florida's beaches or Colorado's snowy slopes. No, it's a different kind of break – a Heat Break.
This story of Water is Basic is way bigger than clean water. It’s economic opportunity, generational transformation, women's empowerment, and hope for a nation.
That’s why I’m inviting you to keep the good going today. Your thoughtfulness will:
Provide access to clean water for another 200,000 people in 2024.
Encourage consistent management of our work by extremely committed staff.
Ensure another group of women-led pump mechanics is trained and deployed.
When I was in South Sudan, I had a little girl tap me on the shoulder and ask if I was a doctor. Believe me when I say I have never re-thought my career more than I did at that moment. Her dad was dying from a disease easily treated in a wealthier country, and she was looking for someone who could help. Such is life in South Sudan.
“Because of my hero, Beatrice, I say My God! When I see her bringing a salary for our household's development. I praise God for having given me such a wife.”Yes, we are a water organization. However, our local work is transformative at a much deeper level. The opportunity to feed, clothe, and educate your family is something we all want, and it is happening in Kibumba, DRC.
It takes less than a week to build a 10,000-liter concrete tank that will hold enough water for ten households. Anasthasie now rises at 7:00, after a full night’s sleep, to work alongside her husband in the field. She has returned to her dream of building a life free of fatigue and water-born diseases.
I think we all need as much good news as we can get lately. We have some! Here is what Josué Kwizera, our project manager in Kibumba, recorded in our latest report. He wanted us (and we want you) to hear directly from this school administrator.
Thank you for your generosity!
Because of you, our students are staying in the classroom! In our school, we have 200 students. It is costly to ensure the children's health and sanitation as they must travel to Mugunga village to fetch water and use the toilet. It takes two hours to get the water. Those two hours are crucial in the classroom as our kids are always managing planting, harvesting, and school.
I cannot begin to tell you how much it means to us educators to have clean, safe water right here where we need it. Thank you, thank you, thank you. -Rwamampfizi Evariste
Imagine this entire scenario from the child's perspective. You must wake up early to seek water, seek it again while at school, and again in the evening when you return home—so many hours wasted—more than 40,000,000,000 every year in Africa alone. A simple thing like water is robbing children, especially girls, of life and education.
Many of us have experienced school falling from our grasp, now that COVID has impacted every student in America. The pandemic has only added to the challenges of education in DRC and South Sudan. But with clean water, they have hope and more opportunity.
I wanted you to hear one of the many impactful stories we receive every week. Just this year, donors have made it possible to build 180,000 liters of rain catchment systems and to launch our new Women's Well Repair Initiative.
I would love for you to be a part of the magic happening as we work together to provide clean water and hope in Africa.
Sincerely,
Steve Roese, Founder & President
“Since peace has come, many returnees have arrived back home, and wells are becoming overcrowded. Waiting in long lines takes away from study and teaching time.” - Joseph Lugala
Joseph Lugala (pictured middle) is an administrator at St. Luke Nursery and Primary school. He submitted a request for a borehole to be drilled at the school because it was becoming increasingly difficult for students and staff to access water during the day at Lomuku II community well.
Rose Yangi (pictured right) is 49 with 5 children, some of whom attend St. Luke’s. She’s been a resident of Lomuku II for over two decades. Before the 2016 conflicts, the population was over 1000 households (8 per household), all surviving on 2 boreholes. She said it was challenging to access water. Fights often broke out at the well as women were desperate to get water to their families.
When the conflict arose in 2016, the population decreased as many fled to refugee camps. While the community members are relieved the war has ended and are glad to see their neighbors return, they knew issues would arise again at the wells. A third well in the area will relieve great suffering and will relieve conflict points. They felt the best solution would be to drill a borehole on the school grounds as children must be well hydrated to focus on studies. They plan for the well to be closed to the surrounding community during school hours but opened to the public when not in session.
The drilling began early in 2020, and they successfully hit water. However, due to a small rebel uprising in surrounding areas, the crew could not travel to Uganda to retrieve the necessary parts for completion. Roads were unsafe and temporarily shut down. At the end of March, the threat of COVID-19 slowed down progress as well. After receiving training and masks, the team was able to complete the well, and on June 16, 2020, the well was opened to the community.
Rose, Joseph, and other community members and children extended sincere gratitude to the Huntt family for the funding of their well. While times are challenging, indeed, having access to the basics of clean water makes all the difference. Health, education, and quality of life, in general, will vastly improve for the children and staff at St. Luke’s and for the surrounding community.
Let me tell you a conversation that I will never forget!
Our driver had just yanked the Land Cruiser to the side of the Yei to Juba road, a perplexed look on his face. "What do you mean, that would be a great way to die? I don't understand."
Traveling with Megan and Wendy, two friends from Midland, TX, we were remembering a mutual friend who had recently passed away in their sleep. "That would be the way I want to go out of this world," was what the driver heard me say.
But to this African driver, passing without family and friends, making the journey alone, was unfathomable.
In Africa, no one dies or lives alone.
As we contemplate our current moments with loved ones, may we learn from our friends in Africa and seek to foster that kind of life experience where being alone is the last option.
By the way, our sisters and brothers in Africa have now added COVID-19 to their long list of diseases they fear daily. Having clean water to wash their hands has become even more crucial. Here, if you don't leave your house to make something happen, no one eats or drinks.
Your support today will mean they have a fighting chance against this insidious disease, too.
Thank you for making a gift now in these difficult times.
Steve
PS - Communities continue to gain access to clean water in South Sudan and DRC. Check out these recent photos from reports received this week!
This week, these young ones in South Sudan watched their well get a good tune-up!
In DRC, our rain catchment work continues. Village water source, before & after!
We can learn a great deal from the people we serve in South Sudan.
Over the years, they have shown what to do in a crisis. They celebrate small things, enjoy each other day-to-day, choose sacrifice as a first response, and ALWAYS think community over the individual.
They are an excellent example for us all.
So as you contemplate how you will manage the next few weeks or months, will you please allow our friends in South Sudan to affect your plans?
Celebrate the small things (read a book, write a note of encouragement); many will suffer financially (who can you serve, deliver groceries to), and as a community, a nation, a family, let's do all we can for the greater good.
By the way, my wife and I are in self-quarantine, having just arrived back from London, where we helped our OASIS BOX partners, Bond -E-Shams raise $30,000 for more water. We celebrated the founder's 28th birthday. The founder Hamza is another example of why education is so important. Everybody at Bond-E-Sham is in their 20's. No one receives a paycheck!
Hamza's idea for the solar box came from his own battle with water born disease as a child. As Lou Holtz said, "Show me someone who has done something worthwhile, and I'll show you someone who has overcome adversity." Check out Hamza's story.
What innovative idea is in the future for Mary or Mary?
Mary and Mary are two young teenage ladies slipping and sliding, pulling and climbing their way to a future.
They want to go to school and change the future of their nation.
Mary Yabbu is 15 and spends her weekends frying up cassava to sell in town. It's how her mother can pay her school fees.
Mary Sunday lives with her grandmother, where she spends her weekends working in the fields.
Both girls' days start with a 2-mile round trip walk for water when it's available.
The future of South Sudan, the future of Africa, the future of our world is in the ideas forming in young minds. When we give out of our abundance, they get the basics.
It's a simple formula with powerful results.
Please continue to give to our work (we never stop) and find someone in your community who needs some help or give to your local meals on wheels today.
Stephen R Roese, President
As the year comes to a close, we want to remind you that water is still basic, and we can do something about it. WiB Board member Michael Guaglione has been moved to do something, and his enthusiasm is inspiring. Please read below why he chooses to give regularly and make your year-end contribution today!
When you love something, you can’t shut up about it. This is true of newlyweds, tech gadgets (AirPods, for me), restaurants, Apps for beating rush-hour traffic, and a million other things.
For me, Water is Basic is on that list. I’ll be on a plane telling a random guy that our team has drilled over 1,000 wells in South Sudan. In a jazz club, when I should be listening to music, you will find me telling my friend how employing local engineers increases efficiency and boosts local economies at the same time. One night, I took clients out to dinner and spent the whole night, explaining why clean water is the first step to educating and empowering women around the world.
Whenever I talk, people always have the same reaction––they love it. Here’s why:
Water is strategic. You can’t do anything until you have clean water. A lot of NGO’s focus on education, healthcare, or business, but water sits at the bedrock foundation of all of it.
Water is urgent. People die every day from dirty water. I used to hear that all the time, but this year I actually watched a little boy battle Typhoid…and almost lose the fight. In the US, he’d live a full life; in South Sudan, not so lucky.
Today, I don’t have big plans. After church I’m having lunch with a friend then I’m going to the movies with some guys tonight. The entire day, I won’t think once about water. But for millions of people around the world, water is the #1 thing on their mind.
For them, water is still basic.
This year, my friends and I sponsored a well that will pump water for 3,000 people until 2050. That means that Amani, the 11-year-old girl I met in South Sudan, will be in school instead of fetching water. It means hundreds of boys won’t fall victim to life-threatening diseases. And it means––this is the best part––that when they grow up, the well will pump out water for their children, too.
You and I never think about water, but we should––even if it’s on behalf of someone else. Please give generously this year-end to our work. We need to do all we can in 2020.
Michael Guaglione was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He holds a B.A. in Advertising from Rowan University and is a co-founder and Creative Director of EyeCatcher Creative, an advertising agency in New York City. Michael joined the board of Water is Basic in 2019.
