Written by: Christie A.
Working through last year’s file of completed water wells, our team was reviewing projects, looking at the communities impacted and getting ready to share with donors the impact their gifts made in the lives of at-risk children. It feels like such sacred ground as you stand between a person and a community and see the life-or-death impact made in that place; on lives the donor will never meet, and yet the impact will be felt for generations. Over and over the stories came in and so many of them ended like this “and peace was brought to this community,” “when there was enough water for all, the fighting stopped and there was peace.” “After the well was drilled the fighting stopped.” “This well brought peace.”
We don’t often think of water as a tool of peace, and yet we watch time and again that peace is a by-product of providing water. As a basic necessity, the need for water adds a stress and strain to daily life. The lack of it creates a constant worry, and the stakes are high. You can’t go very long without water, which means there’s a desperation for water hard-wired into us all. When you lack water, your options get dark and your timeline to make decisions is short. How do you decide what to do when there isn’t enough water? What do you do when you are faced with choices that no human should ever have to face? To say that this situation leads communities to fighting and desperation is an understatement.
As we end 2021, we are working to drill wells in 52 communities, not only do we get to provide water for thousands, but we get to be instruments of peace! These words from Francis of Assisi rang out as we talked about this year’s goal.
We have a beautiful, practical opportunity in front of us to put Francis’ words into action, to be instruments of peace, bringing hope to places of despair, and joy where there was sadness. Water is truly an incredible gift to give, it is one with long-ranging impact that can change the trajectory of generations.
Have you made your gift towards a well yet? Will you join us in being instruments of peace?
