Water Flows!

Fresh, clean and abundant water is flowing at Trees of Glory CarePoint in Ethiopia!  In this drought-ravaged, rural area of Ethiopia, access to a deep-water well is of critical importance, not only for Trees of Glory CarePoint - but also for the surrounding villages!

For the CarePoint, which presently serves 150 children, a deep water well provides precious water for drinking, cooking, bathing and washing clothes.  Before the well was bored, the staff walked to the river or the spigot in the nearby village to haul water on the backs of donkeys - a very labor intensive and time intensive process. 

But that has all changed. 

When I was at Trees of Glory CarePoint in November, Simret, the founder of the CarePoint, and I were discussing the dramatic changes that could take place once this well was drilled.  She explained to me that once the well was in place, she would be able to expand enrollment and eventually serve up to 300 orphaned or destitute children.

She was also looking forward to being able to provide a place for the children to bathe and wash their clothes.  In this dusty, rural area - water is scarce, and much too precious to spare for bathing or washing clothes.  I doubt that most of the children had ever worn clean clothes or had bathed more than once or twice a year.  That too - is about to change.

When our team of volunteers is in Ethiopia working with the kids each year, it's such a luxury to arrive back at the Guest Home and be able to take a shower (sometimes it's not even a warm shower, but it's a shower nonetheless) and wash away the dirt and sweat and smells from a day of hard work.  That simple luxury is something the kids at Trees of Glory have never experienced - but they are about to!

For the nearby villages - this well is life giving.

Not only is it clean, pure water - without the dirt and parasites that come from the tainted river - but for many families, walking to a water source consumes a large part of the day.  Some children don't attend school because they walk 1-3 hours to the water source, and then walk 1-3 hours to bring it home.  It is not uncommon to see a group of young girls walking together with a large yellow jug balanced on their hip or their head.  Much of their day is consumed with hauling water for their family's survival.

With a deep water well at Trees of Glory - life will now change for so many people in the surrounding villages, as well as the CarePoint.

Thank you to the TOG sponsor families and donors who made this possible with your generous donations and your constant advocation for these kids!!

A small tin hut near the well-head houses the electrical system to pump the water to the CarePoint. 

The Poultry Farm project at Trees of Glory CarePoint is also nearing completion!  The building is nearly finished and the equipment to roost the chickens and help with egg production is starting to arrive!  Soon - chickens and chicks will arrive and egg production will begin!!