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We are teaching people, forced to flee in southern Sudan, how to fix water pumps so they can ensure people in their villages have clean and safe water
Angelina Juma fled her home with her family of six children. She used to get water close by, “it was regular and clean”, she explains. But where she now lives in Nazerete, the closest water is four miles away. It takes two-hours, carrying heavy jerrycans, to walk there and back.
“When we get back, we find our children crying. And the time taken stops us doing business. I haven’t cooked today because we don’t have water, we haven’t eaten yet, and my grandson hasn’t been washed. Without water life is difficult.”
The water point she is currently using is in reality just a big dirty pond. The milky water has green algae across the top. Angelina perches on a log as she dips her yellow plastic container in. As she’s working, some cows wander over to drink from the same pool behind her, their hooves in the water.
After the sweaty work carrying the heavy jerrycans up the slippery banks, Angelina dips her purple plastic jug into the water, and drinks thirstily. Hygiene education would help. But it would also help if the pump by her house hadn’t been broken for the past few months.
“There’s lots of sickness now, but we don’t know if it’s from the water. Things like diarrhoea, vomiting. When the child is sick, I take them to hospital for medicine and work to try and buy it.”
But Angelina’s prayers for cleaner water may soon be answered, by an unlikely champion – another displaced women named Elvira.
Training in pump mechanics
Elvira Raphel’s family also ran from the LRA, arriving in the night in Naandi with nothing. But while Elvira’s mum was given a cooking pot and malaria nets to protect Elvira’s younger siblings, Elvira is being trained by CAFOD through partner, the Diocese of Tambura-Yambio, to fix broken water pumps.
After training, when we go back to our villages, we will be volunteers, if there is a broken borehole, we can fix it. I want to fix the one in the Church in Naandi. If I had the parts, I could fix that borehole now
“I wanted to train as a pump mechanic to help people. Eighteen people are being trained, four are women. Even being a woman I can do this work.
“The training is not hard. It is with pictures, with lessons and practicals. Before training as a pump mechanic I was just farming.
“After training, when we go back to our villages, we will be volunteers, if there is a broken borehole, we can fix it. I want to fix the one in the Church in Naandi. If I had the parts, I could fix that borehole now.”
But first, Elvira and the team of trainees will fix the water pump close to Angelina’s house. They unload huge silver spanners, wrenches and pipes, the metal glinting in the sunlight. On the back of their tshirts is written “Good hygiene and sanitation is our responsibility”. Soon Elvira will be helping fellow displaced people like her to have clean and plentiful water.
For every £1 given to our Give it up! appeal this Lent, including Lent Fast Day, the government will donate another £1 – doubling your donation and changing even more lives |
884 million people do not have access to clean, safe water. Pray with us this Lent that waters may flow and injustice may be washed away. |
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