Our Work

Samaritan’s Purse/CIDA Water Internship Partner Feedback

Over 80 young water interns from across Canada have worked with Samaritan’s Purse and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) since 1998. Samaritan’s Purse trains and equips these water interns to work with our staff and partners around the world, helping provide safe drinking water through BioSand Water Filters, providing health and hygiene education, and working alongside communities.

Interns work in a variety of capacities, depending on the needs of our partners and communities we are serving. Interns may begin water filter pilot projects in new communities, construct and install filters, or train and follow up with beneficiaries.

Samaritan’s Purse water interns have a positive impact on our Household Water Program and partners around the world. Here is what our partners have to say about Samaritan’s Purse water interns:

Brazil

Interns Steve Thomson and Amanda Lwanga, newlyweds from Saskatchewan, worked alongside local Brazilian intern Paul Hrubik in the Amazon Basin, from September 2007 to February 2008. Thomson and Lwanga helped build and install BioSand Water Filters, train Brazilians in installation and maintenance, and provide health and hygiene education.

“Bringing the [Samaritan’s Purse] interns to work with us helps to show the Brazilian people that we are serious about the [Household Water Program]. We are providing trained Canadians to teach and train, and provide validity to our program. The interns saw our [program] plan and they fit in with us – we really appreciate that attitude and that willingness.”

--Project Amazon, Samaritan’s Purse partner

Cambodia

Interns Ray Cantwell, of Ontario, and Jenny Hong, of Alberta, lived in the border town of Poipet from September 2007 to February 2008. Cantwell and Hong worked with the Samaritan’s Purse Household Water Program in the area of Toul Prasat. The interns helped build and install BioSand Water Filters, trained beneficiaries in filter maintenance, and worked with Samaritan’s Purse partners to develop and implement an interactive health and hygiene curriculum.

“The (BioSand Water Filter) project and the various groups we are working with in Toul Prasat were sad to say farewell to (the interns). However, Ray and Jenny had a great opportunity to share their hearts with the community and to explain why they had come to Poipet. The community also shared their heartfelt appreciation for the efforts of Samaritan’s Purse and of Ray and Jenny’s hard work in getting the project up and running.”

--Samaritan’s Purse Cambodia

Kenya
Interns Taya Raine, of Saskatchewan, and Teresa Dodge, of Ontario, lived and worked in rural Kenyan communities from September 2007 to February 2008. Raine and Dodge were actively involved through the Household Water Filter Program with three tribal communities, the Kamba, Maasai, and Duruma. They worked closely with two Kenyan interns from Nairobi, de-silting a local dam to increase its capacity, building and installing BioSand Water Filters, and setting up a pilot BioSand Water Filter project in one community. Both Raine and Dodge earned themselves local names – Mdhanu (a good thing) and Mwikai(hard worker).

“The villagers told us no white person had ever lived among them in this community and so this was a blessing and honor to them.”

”We wanted to improve on our hygiene and sanitation training. Most of the (filter) beneficiaries are women and so having a female trainer who they can identify with makes the training more exciting, and will increase the uptake of information by the beneficiaries. The interns were able to put together an excellent team that serves this purpose. This has empowered the young ladies working in the project to aim higher, and it is an encouragement to the young girls in schools to work hard and be able to get good jobs.”

--Samaritan’s Purse Kenya

Malawi

David Bock, of Manitoba, and James Tan, of Ontario, lived and worked in the village of Gwani for a large portion of their internship between September 2006 and February 2007. Bock and Tan were responsible for setting up a pilot BioSand Water Filter project in Malawi, alongside a local partner of Samaritan’s Purse.

“[The interns] stayed with us for about six months and in that period [David Bock] demonstrated a selfless spirit and adapted easily to the rural setting. The (BioSand Water Filter) has had obvious benefits to the community, as people have learned health and hygiene practices and their general household health has improved. James (Tan) was technically sound and passed onto the community participants what he knew about the filters. During monitoring visits, we [learned] that the occurrence of water borne diseases had drastically dropped in Gwani, the village where the interns worked. The community members nicknamed David “Chief Gwani” – a sign of real acceptance by the community.”

--Evangelical Association of Malawi

Niger

Trudy Naugler, of British Columbia, and Hayley Turnbull, of Saskatchewan, spent their internship between September 2007 and February 2008 in Niger, working in two island villages on the Niger River. Turnbull and Naugler assisted BioSand Water Filter technicians in water filter installation and follow-up. The interns also created a health and hygiene curriculum specific to girls ages 10 – 15, and implemented the lessons in the village schools, as well as community meetings.

“The most important way the interns have helped the work in Niger is through making genuine and significant relationships with Samaritan’s Purse staff and beneficiaries, something that is incredibly important to long-term development.  Through working with the BSF water technicians in a willing and humble manner, the interns were not only an example to these men but also gained their respect and empowered them to do their work to the best of their ability.”

“Interns also helped the BioSand Water Filter project in Niger by sharing their knowledge about water and other technical matters (in regards to) the filters.  They were invaluable when it came to the managing of the work in the two villages they worked in, where the water technicians did not have a lot of experience in running a project.” 

“Another huge impact the interns made was in the health and hygiene education they did with the 10-15 year old girls.  The curriculum they put together covered really important points but was also a lot of fun and involved the girls in a way that will keep those lessons in their heads for years. These girls are already passing on what they learned to their mothers and will hopefully put it to practice when they are running their own households.  This education is a huge step toward behavior change that is greatly needed in Niger.”

--Samaritan’s Purse Niger   

Ways You Can Help
Pray Please pray that God will continue to provide direction to Samaritan’s Purse, as we respond to people’s needs, share the love of Christ, and serve the church worldwide.		Give The need is urgent. A child is dying every 20 seconds in the developing world from diarrhoeal diseases caused by polluted water. Donate Here.