PARTNERING WITH WATER MISSION INTERNATIONAL
CLEAN WATER
When Two Burning Candles started working on the idea that an orphanage for children would be founded, it was learned that sustainable water was a requirement. We reached out to multiple organizations both in the United States and Kenya. We sent a request to Water Missions International, which was initially rejected. Ken went to work one day after a friend of his encouraged him to speak with them again and called them. He shared the vision and we were given an appointment for a meeting. We prepared all of our information and set off for Charleston, South Carolina.
There we met with the Kenyan director, who told us that if we raised the money for the initial borehole and if the drilling truly produced water, then they would come beside us to help complete the project. We asked the all important question…”How much will we have to raise?” The answer…”$25,000.00.” This included geological surveys and meeting with the community to determine if the project showed promise of working under the guidelines that Water Missions International has found over years make a project work and be sustainable.
We left wondering how long it would take us to raise $25,000.00. We knew if it was God’s will, He would provide. We estimated at least 3 years of fundraising to meet this goal. We reached out to our church family, friends, former supporters and even former employers. To our amazement and all glory to God, in 6 months, the money was raised.
In March, 2017, the well was drilled and WATER WAS FOUND!!!!!! Many villagers were there to watch the drilling and all cheered as water shot up into the air. This is a huge blessing for these people. They now had hope of clean drinking water…water that they no longer had to go out and gather wood, build a fire and boil for it to be safe to drink. No more water bourne diseases including typhoid. There were still huge steps that had to be made but there was hope. But for now, there was water underground, but the borehole was covered by a metal plate that couldn’t be removed until more funding came in.
Then the drought came. We got an e-mail from the pastor we worked with stating that the drought was affecting the people in a horrible way. The people’s animals were dying and the river had dried up. People were beginning to die. We took all the information that we could get and made another trip to Charleston to present the information. Water Missions International immediately sent people to verify the crisis and the project got moved to a disaster relief project. This meant they erected a solar panel and pump and constructed a water point that the villagers could come to and collect water. It was an improvement because it was pure water. We were very thankful for this huge blessing. Then the wait began to see if we had a donor that had a heart for the water project and would donate to a more complex system.
Then on December 23, 2018, we received word that a donation earmarked for Kenya had been given by the Paul Due Jensen Foundation in Denmark. What was once a one point water system was developed with help from the community to a five point water system with clean water being available at the nearby elementary school in addition to four other strategically located sites. God was so generous in this project. We were amazed at how it all came together. We were able to be present at the Water Ceremony as these five water points were opened further into the community. Prayerfully, more funding will come in and the project can expand even further. This is a huge blessing to these people and changes their lives in a way that we can’t understand. We have only to go to our sinks and open a faucet. They still have to carry water to their homes, but no more boiling and no more sickness.
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