by Joseph Cliford Toussaint
July, 2015—Almost everybody in Lebo was present for the celebration. All 40 households in the small community used to rely on an unprotected spring source where animal feces and sediments from uphill gardens were deposited.
Thanks to the combined efforts of Samaritan’s Purse staff and the people of Lebo, a spring catchment and storage tank was built in order to reduce the incidence of diarrheal diseases. When it was complete, the community and Samaritan’s Purse staff members joined together to celebrate.
The people wore huge smiles and the nicest clothes they owned. The children danced, and many committee members from the community spoke while we snacked on goat meat and fried plantains. It touched me when at the end of the celebration, two committee members from a different community donated five olive trees to be planted around the spring to show their appreciation for the work that was done in the community of Lebo. It was a wonderful time and it will remain in the minds of Samaritan’s Purse staff members and the people of Lebo.
Save the life of a child or adult in a developing country by providing safe water along with health and hygiene education that will help protect them from deadly, but preventable, diseases. Simple and effective water filters, community wells and water storage solutions, and sanitation facilities can all drastically improve lives and open doors to share the eternal hope of Jesus Christ.