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Water Mark Roland Bergeron crosses continents for thirsty countries / by Alison Storm
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Well Done: Roland Bergeron, a former homebuilder, founded Greenville-based aid organization Water of Life, which drills wells in countries in need of fresh water.
Rather than asking why, Roland committed to doing something about it. He’s told anyone who will listen about the situation, including rallying supporters on Facebook. Outrage among Roland’s contacts spread, putting pressure on Indian officials. Last winter some quarry owners were forced to start releasing child slaves, and in March, the Indian government banned the practice completely, releasing 3,000 child slaves. About 430 of the children are now receiving care partially funded by Water of Life and Upstate churches. Roland says most of Water of Life’s support comes from locals. Seven Upstate churches donate monthly, including large congregations like Brookwood Church in Simpsonville and smaller ones like LifePoint Church in Greenville. Individuals can donate through GiveFreshWater.org. It currently costs $1,500 to drill a well in India and $2,500 to complete a project in Liberia or Sierra Leone, a small price given the lives saved. But for Roland, it’s a chance to tell others about his faith. He says, “Local people are making all the difference.”
Photog r aph cour tes y of Water of L i fe, g ivefreshwater.org
oland Bergeron made a living building luxury homes. But then something happened. He says God got a hold of his heart, prompting Roland to downsize his own home, pass the construction company on to his son, and start building something else— water wells in third-world countries. “I’ve discovered if you find out what God wants you to do and you go do that, you’re guaranteed success,” he says. These days Roland, who turned 62 last month while in Liberia, West Africa, measures success in wells. In the last year and a half, Water of Life, based in Greenville and the organization Roland founded, has completed 99 water projects, serving 100,488 people. In India alone, 34,000 people—roughly the population of Spartanburg—now have clean water that didn’t just over a year ago thanks to Water of Life. According to a 2012 report from the World Health Organization, 780 million people, or one in nine on the planet, don’t have access to an improved water source. And an estimated 3.41 million people die from water, sanitation, and hygienerelated causes each year. “Those numbers are far too large for me to do anything about,” Roland, a native of Pontiac, Michigan, says. “I have to break it down into a village or a family.” Last year, Water of Life’s work moved beyond the water crisis. After connecting with a pastor in India on Facebook, Roland visited a rock quarry there and saw child slavery firsthand. Children as young as eight, many in bare feet and ragged clothes, were mining slate with rudimentary tools. Roland describes the experience as the lowest point of his entire life. “I don’t believe my God is happy with that,” explains Roland of his shaken faith after seeing the child slaves. “Could He make it all go away? Absolutely. Why doesn’t He? I don’t have an answer to that question. I don’t think I could ever get an answer that would satisfy me.”
38 TOWN / towngreenville.com
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8/16/12 6:19 PM
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