WELL DRILLING PROJECT FOR THE PEOPLE OF KASUNGAMI, DRC

CHILD ACTION INITIATIVE AND WORLD VISION COMPLETE WELL DRILLING PROJECT IN KASUNGAMI, DRC

CHILD ACTION INITIATIVE NEWSLETTER                     MAY 2, 2011

With the Grace of God and a concerted effort by many following four and one half years of praying, planning, and fund raising the well drilling project in Kasungami, DRC has been completed. Thanks to the assistance of the dedicated staff of Christian engineers, geologists and well drillers in World Vision’s Lubumbashi, DRC office this need has been fulfilled. This was made possible through negotiations by Isaiah Njimbu Chot, Founder & Executive Director of Child Action Initiative (CAI) and Dave Heiser, Technical Advisor with CAI, during their meeting with World Vision personnel July, 2010.

World Vision expressed gratitude to Isaiah and Dave for CAI’s primary mission working with and educating AIDS orphans and for this reason decided this was a project worthy of their support which benefits many.

In December, 2010 World Vision began delivering well drilling materials and supplies to Kasungami and meeting with the residents to discuss water use, conservation and sanitation. The drilling of the first of three wells in Kasungami, DRC was started in early January, 2011. (See photographs below) One of these wells is located on the property of Nazareth United Methodist Church (UMC), the focal point of CAI.

We are grateful to everyone who contributed to this project: A $15,000 donation from Hershey Rotary Club, Hershey, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. and additional sums from anonymous donors. Kasungami residents now have access to a larger supply of clean drinking water.

In a recent e-mail Isaiah Njimbu Chot wrote:

THREE NEW WELLS FOR THE COMMUNITY IN KASUNGAMI

December 20th 2010 was another beautiful day as World Vision started delivering drilling materials in Kasungami. It was a happy and joyous moment for people. Happy faces of the aged mothers and fathers together with the young men and women and their children expecting to get new wells for safe drinking water.

After putting everything in place, World Vision people started drilling with the participation of the community and church members:

January 7th -8th the first well was drilled at the community Maternity Building. January 10th -11th 2011 the second well was drilled at Nazareth United Methodist Church. January 13th -14th 2011, the third and last well was drilled at Church of God.

The parents, guardians and community members came in large numbers to witness the well drilling. Everyone wanted to say thank you. Many of them reported that now it will enable (them) to avoid getting sick from water disease because drinking clean water will be available at their households.

There was one woman who gave a testimony describing the new well as their only savior. She said:

“They have been suffering from water related diseases for example, typhoid as a result of taking turbid, muddy water, she also added that they had difficult time to concentrate on their daily activities such as going to school and to church instead they were forced to walk miles away looking for dirty water.”

Now she believes that this will never happen again with this new well near them. On behalf of the orphans and Kasungami community she expressed thanks to the donors for caring (for) the lives of the community by providing them with safe clean water.

One man stood and said:

“We are the most blessed and now we look like other human beings, we never thought to have a well in our area. GOD came inside you people and brought life to us.”

On behalf of the community and children he was very thankful to the UMVIM Child Action Initiative coordinators for being ambassadors and Hershey Rotary Club in Pennsylvania and other donors funding the project.

Watch for the next issue of this newsletter which will feature the dedication ceremonies of the wells during which many local dignitaries were in attendance.
Blessings,

Isaiah Njimbu Chot, Dave Heiser, Bev & Ed Wentz

Isaiah Njimbu Chot
Founder & Executive Director of Child Action Initiative
The United Methodist Church South Congo & Zambia Episcopal Area
Lubumbashi, DRC

Bev Wentz, R.N. (Retired),  Ed Wentz, P.E. (Retired)
U.S. UMVIM Coordinators for Child Action Initiative
Oak Ridge United Methodist Church, Oak Ridge, NC
Greensboro District,  Western North Carolina United Methodist Conference

Dave Heiser, P.E., B.C.E.E.
U.S. UMVIM Technical Advisor for Child Action Initiative
Fuquay Varina United Methodist Church, Fuquay Varina, NC
Raleigh District,  North Carolina United Methodist Conference