Clean Drinking Water for Orphans and Children With Disabilities in Uganda

As I write this letter, radio stations here in Washington, DC, have already been playing “holiday music” for weeks. Shopping malls have had Christmas decorations up for more than a month and department stores have been promoting Christmas shopping since September. Every year, the push to make the Christmas season bigger, flashier and louder seems to grow more intense. But if we reflect on the reason for Christmas, we may quickly realize (to paraphrase President Coolidge’s statement) that Christmas is not a season but a way of living — and caring for those less fortunate.

Throughout the past year, whenever I have shared with you the needs of those in our missions, you have often responded with “goodwill” and “plenteous” mercy. Because of you, many of those who were suffering now have the food, clothes and education they needed. I am praying that you will help once again!

A few weeks ago, I received a letter from a missionary Sister working in Uganda, East Africa. She shared with me a need that the poor people in her village have for a source of clean water.

Sr. Theresa Basemera works in Kiwanga, Uganda, a small village northeast of Kampala, Uganda’s capital city. The people there are very poor and are in urgent need of a source of safe drinking water. “The water is mostly needed for the orphans, children with disabilities and other vulnerable boys and girls of the community who cannot get water for themselves,” Sr. Theresa writes. “Everyone here in the community is hoping that we can do something to make the lives of these little ones better in some way. Having a source of safe drinking water would have a huge impact on improving the quality of their lives.”

“Uganda experiences a rainy season twice a year (three months in the spring and three months in the fall). Our hope is to construct a water harvesting system that would allow us to collect some of the rainwater, store it, purify it and then use it for our needs.”

“The families here in our community are very supportive,” Sr. Theresa continues. “They are willing to donate whatever they can — materials and labor — to make this a reality. But we still need money to purchase water storage tanks, faucets, pipes, valves, cement, bricks, and many other items. I am hoping that you can help us with these.”

My friend, you and I both know how incredibly precious clean, safe drinking water is. Those in Sr. Theresa’s village know this from first hand experience! Will you help us make sure that everyone (especially the children in Kiwanga) gets the water he or she needs? In your own community, you could help by making sure that water isn’t being wasted. Repairing leaky faucets, washing clothes only when there is a full load and even limiting the watering of lawns are great water conservation practices.

I am also hoping that we can raise at least $42,000 this Christmas to help provide the orphans and disabled children in Sr. Theresa’s mission with the water they need, as well as support other water projects throughout East Africa. Whatever donation you send, please know that your goodwill is a blessing for those in need. God bless you and Merry Christmas!

 

Your Missionary Friend,

Denis P. Pringle
Director of Development