The Harrells facilitated the installation of a turbine pump in the community of Sisit. Access to clean water helps reduce the number of deaths and illness among children in Kenya.
and insufficient amounts of water to ensure proper washing of bodies, clothes and vessels and utensils for cooking and eating. In many of the rural communities, groundwater is the best option for reliable, clean water — but it is hard to come by. The water table is on average 260 feet below the surface, which means hand-dug wells are not feasible. Digging deep boreholes with equipment costs between $15,000 to $35,000. With the help of CBF partner churches and other supporters, the Harrells have provided wells to several communities — and other methods for water purification in places where wells are impractical. One of the clearest examples of the importance of access to clean water came when the Harrells were establishing a preliminary child-development center in the community of Sisit, among the Pokot people of western Kenya. The town is two
Give
kilometers (more than a mile) and about 400 feet in elevation from its only water source, a nearby river. “We did hear of a turbine system that showed promise — and which, furthermore, was powered by gravity rather than expensive fuel. After doing a thorough study of all the dynamics, we decided to go for it and try to install this pump and the requisite pipeline to enable water to be pumped closer to the community,” Harrell said. It almost didn’t work. After members of the community and partners helped dig the mile-plus-long trench through the rocky soil for the pipes, the day came to start it. “It took about 6 hours for the pump to push the water up through the pipes. We had some leakages and one precarious section where the pipe was suspended over a ravine. The reality began to sink in that the whole thing might be a flop,” Harrell said.
“As I made my way up the mountain to deliver the bad news to the congregated community, I suddenly heard loud [cries] of joy from the women as the water began to trickle into the tank,” Harrell said. “There was dancing and hugging as a slow but sustained trickle slowly filled the huge storage tank that had been placed by the school for that purpose. What a day!” Further modifications — including help from a group of Mercer University students — expanded the system’s reach and made it more efficient, and now the Sisit community has had a reliable source of clean water since 2009. The clean-water project gave the people of Sisit a reason to rejoice — and that’s why, to the Harrells, providing clean water is a key way of spreading the gospel in Kenya. By contributing writer Rob Marus
Your gifts to the CBF Offering for Global Missions enable the Harrells to change lives in Kenya. To give, use the envelope provided in this issue or go to www.thefellowship.info/give. fellowship!
J u n e / J u ly 2 0 1 2
|
23