Generosity takes many forms

CAFOD's Maddy West (centre) receives a gift of yams from a community in Tavingwa, Nigeria [CAFOD]

Maddy West explores how the simple task of providing a clean water supply has totally transformed the lives of villagers in Nigeria

In 2006, CAFOD succeeded in winning a co-funded grant from the European Commission to improve the health status of Nigerians living in the rural north.

In real terms, that means reaching approximately 418,000 over 335 rural communities - quite a challenge!

Water filters

We visited the remote village of Mabudi, in Langtang South district which is part of the area known as the Plateau State. Just 35% of the rural population have access to clean drinking water.

CAFOD supports a project by the Catholic Archdiocesan Urban and Rural Development Programme (CARUDEP), which helps remote communities build and maintain both water filters and catchment tanks.

When the young parish priest Father Gian’an Nankeen arrived in Mabudi, it was close to crisis, with outbreaks of typhoid, worms, and salmonella, plus gastric and skin problems such as scabies.

The village only had one source of water used by everyone including the animals and neighbouring villages. Now it has three large water tanks holding 46,000 litres each.

The villagers were keen to tell their stories. I especially remember Boso Galey, who eagerly showed us his home and the sand and gravel water filter he had installed there.

The two blue plastic tanks were fully operational and my water bottle was soon filled with clear cool water.

He told me: "I experienced a different life for my family this year - but this should not come to me alone when others are suffering. Most of our sickness is through water.”

When I returned home I thought about Boso’s words and those of the other villagers whose lives had been turned around by just having clean water - something I take so much for granted.

Meeting people such as Bosco and Moses really puts into perspective my ideas of what it is to be fortunate and how generosity comes in so many forms.

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The water filter is a very simple design - and just one of the many ways CAFOD helps people in developing countries help themselves.
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