For years, the world has known about the civil unrest in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but amidst other current events around the world, the situation was left out of headlines. The conflict, however, hasn’t ended.

Occasionally there are pockets of peace, but they are short-lived when tensions rise and violence between rebel militias and government troops flare, wreaking havoc on those caught in the crossfire. Throughout 2012, seasons of violent outbursts sent thousands fleeing from the Southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo to neighboring nations, causing a flood of nearly 30,000 refugees to the Rwamwanje Settlement Camp in Western Uganda.

Some refugees arrived to the Rwamwanja Resettlement Camp with large sacks, along with whatever else one head and two hands could carry. They made the hard decision to leave home in search of relief from the constant threat of killing, rape, looting and extortion by the insurgent rebel forces fighting with the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s government. Others waited in the registration lines with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Their departure from home was not planned, but instead a reaction to survive. These refugees left behind their daily lives in one unforeseen moment at the sound of gunfire—and didn’t stop running until their feet hit Uganda’s red soil.

No matter the story behind them, the one ahead required starting over with no time to rest. The same basic needs they had yesterday still must be met today and again tomorrow.

Water Missions International’s (WMI) Uganda field office approached the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to be an implementing partner for water and sanitation projects in Uganda. UNICEF leaders grew excited as they learned what WMI could do, how we implement comprehensive safe water projects and our per capita cost to provide safe water. Our project was even less costly than the commonly used hand water pumps.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

uenchQQQQTransforming lives through sustainable safe water solutions

Summer 2013

• Relief for Refugees • Walks Across Amerca • Reflections from International Volunteers • Community Development Program Update • Water Sunday • Summer Highlights

Relief for Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement Camp, Uganda

UNICEF and WMI provide safe water for refugees fleeing the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Quench | Summer 2013

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UNICEF quickly engaged WMI to implement two safe water projects in Rwamwanje. By February of 2013, refugees settled in the Kyempango B and Kalambo areas within the camp had access to a dependable source of safe water that utilizes a solar-powered puri-fication system, chlorination and pumps for the existing boreholes. UNICEF was amazed at how, in a short period of time, WMI had addressed the needs voiced by members of the settlement communi-ties, engaged them to take ownership of the project through safe water

committees and built the necessary infrastructure to ensure the project’s sustainability.

Since the Rwamwanje Resettlement Camp water projects were completed, UNICEF

Uganda has submitted requests to part-ner with WMI on four new projects

around Lake Albert, two projects in Western Uganda and extensions for the first two projects in Rwamwanje. This partnership has also ignited conversations with UNICEF Mala-wi that helped us respond to flood-ing in Karonga earlier this spring.

Home took root in Rwamwaje with the refreshment of safe water

and a moment of true respite. After years of uncertainty and struggle, safe

water provides a striking contrast for these refugees among so much unknown. For the

first time, parents can give their children water that will not make them sick or cut their lives short.

Like never before, there is something certain waiting for them tomorrow, something with the power to change everything—safe water—and it will be flowing at the tap stands built by Water Missions International and UNICEF.

Water Missions Internationalww.watermissions.org

Top photo: Onlookers who are ready to help gather around the enclo-sure built to protect the safe water treatment equipment; Above: WMI Uganda technicians work together to install the the water pump at the Kalambo site.

Through the provision of safe water, the daily struggle to find and collect water is over, and women and children are given more time to spend rebuilding their lives.

According to the World Health Organization, water-related diseas-es claim the life of one child every 21 seconds. These mothers find rest knowing that safe water is now available for their children.

One of our technicians captured this moment of prayer right after this young lady took her first sip of safe water from the WMI tap.

Mission Accomplished: Walk in a Bucket goes global as Airmen take steps to end the global water crisis

Four Airmen deployed to Southwest Asia each carried four gal-lons of water 1.6 miles in the course of a 2.5 mile Walk for Water to raise awareness for the global water crisis and show support for Water Missions International. While we cannot share their names or the location of their walk, a spokesperson said, “Yes, these young men did get terribly sore. In addition to being grateful for indoor plumbing and tap water, we all were so glad to be a small part of what WMI is doing to combat waterborne diseases. Thank you, WMI, for your incredible ministry.”

A special thanks goes out from Water Missions International to these amazing men for their service and footsteps! It doesn’t matter where you are, you can make a difference in the global water crisis. If you are interested in hosting your own Walk for Water, please visit www.walkinabucket.org to learn more.

Summerville Elementary School Walk for Water 3.15.2013 • Summerville, SC

Walk for Uwanji Walk for Water3.16.2013 • Columbia, SC

Furman University Walk for Water3.20.2013 • Greenville, SC

University of St. Francis Walk for Water3.21.2013 • Joliet, IL

Clemson Area Walk for Water3.21.2013 • Clemson, SC

Grundfos Kansas City Mini Walk for Water3.25.2013 • Kansas City, MO

Airmen Walking for Water4.2013 • Southeast Asia

Clinton Rosette Middle School5.24.2013 • Dekalb, IL

Grundfos Mini Walk for WaterKansas City, KS

The past few months have been busy for our Walk in a Bucket initiative! You have been taking steps across the country to end the global water crisis. Thanks to the following events, thousands of people will have sustainable access to safe water in their own communities.

Quench | Summer 2013

Footsteps Heard ‘Round the World: WAlk in A BUCkeT initiative sees outpouring of interest

Don’t miss a Walk for Water event happen-ing near you! Visit www.walkinabucket.org and click on the ‘Get Involved’ tab to see our list of upcoming events. Every step counts. If you don’t see a walk on the schedule near you, host your own! More details are available online.

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Kansas City, MO Columbia, SC Dekalb, IL

Community Development upDates

Quench | Summer 2013

Contrary to popular belief, people do not have to be just like us to be wonderful people.

Perhaps you detect a bit of sarcasm in my words, but I think we tend to believe that we are the definition of wonderful. All too often, we can get stuck on our differences when we’re called to look—and love—past them. But if we strive to keep the second greatest commandment as taught by Jesus, we will make every effort to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Water Missions International strives to keep this command-ment by providing people with safe water all over the world at the

same standard that we enjoy ourselves. As volunteers, “loving our neighbor as ourselves” took us

to Mexico and Honduras to work with WMI in-country staff this past

spring. Burt, an engineer, teaches best engineering practices to

in-country technicians. As an educator, I mentor local staff members as they learn to guide people through the community development

aspect of a safe water project. For this trip, we had the

opportunity to train teams from Honduras, Mexico and Peru on

the new Water Missions International Community Development Program de-

signed to ensure project sustainability as well as help implement this new model in their work.

We’ve learned that the safe water and sanitation situation is different for each country that WMI serves—and this is precisely why every project requires a customized solution. This wasn’t our first time in the field, as Burt and I have volunteered for WMI in several countries. However, Honduras and Mexico were the first countries that Water Missions International serves where people have the luxury of gravity flow water piped in to most homes. Your next question might then become: “Why is Water Missions International there?”

The convenience of piped water is not only a blessing, but it can also be a curse in these communities. Most people do not ac-tually see their water source so they have a false sense of security that their water is safe to drink. What they don’t see is the dead cow at the river dam or the animals and people releasing feces and other harmful bacteria into the river. In the rainy season, the piped water is brown with run-off, but sediment usually settles

in the storage tank before it is distributed to homes. People do not realize the connection between their contaminated water and their children’s waterborne diseases because the water looks clean, which underscores the importance of teaching healthy sanitation and hygiene behaviors.

While we were able to accomplish a great deal during our trip, I must note an important observation. I see the example of loving our neighbors as the very heart behind the passion and diligence of WMI’s staff around the world. In countries where WMI has a presence, the unsung heroes are the in-country staff members. These dedicated, deeply Christian young men and women travel incredibly difficult roads and waters, often taking dangerous risks that require them to be away from their families. In addition to providing access to safe water and sanita-tion, they also guide communities through a comprehensive communi-ty development program to recog-nize many causes of water-related disease and teach behaviors to help keep them healthy, like washing hands.

“Loving our neighbors as our-selves” through the provision of safe water is just one aspect of Water Missions International’s ministry, but it’s an important one. From board members and staff in the U.S., to the community members and leaders at each commissioning, every person involved in a project passes directly through the light of this love. Having seen WMI from near and afar as a volunteer, donor and member of the field team, I can attest to how essential it is to every story being written through safe water.

A Volunteer’s Perspective: loving our neighbors as ourselvesBy Mae Dean Northam

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Burt and Mae Dean Northam (Top left to right) are joined by Leonardo and (bottom row, left to right) Cornelio, Ruperto and Johnny of our Mexico country program staff.

Ruperto collects a water sample from a community’s water source as part of the site assessment for a new project.

Ruperto conducts a workshop with community members within the framework of the new community development model.

pRoGRam notes

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“I now work here at the Living Water™ Treatment System that Water Missions International gave to our community. This is benefiting poor families… supporting us with this project, giving health improvement for many people as a result. Thank God and WMI. -Jose Paz, safe water distributor

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“I acknowledge the progress that has been obtained through the safe water project that WMI and the Pentair Foundation donated to us in Bo. Colón. It has been a blessing for many families.We are grateful to God and WMI for providing this project which now makes it possible to have safe water for human consumption at an affordable cost to poor families. - Lucas Gomez Ramires, operator

“The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” (Proverbs 21:5)

Greetings from Water Missions International’s community devel-opment programs! In the last issue of Quench we shared a number of key lessons that we have been learning from our country programs about how to build a foundation for transformational impact through sustainable safe water projects. We have continued to take these lessons back out to our country programs in order to build their ca-pacity to implement best-in-class community development processes. We hope that the plans put in place will enable our staff to facilitate restoration of healthy relationships with themselves, others, God and creation, and thus break the cycle of poverty in the communities where we work.

Most recently, we had the opportunity to assemble the staff from all of our Latin America programs—Mexico, Belize, Honduras and Peru—at our compound in Tocoa, Honduras for three weeks of work-shops and advanced training. Topics discussed during the workshops included site assessments, water committee development, promotion of healthy WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) behavior, finan-cial sustainability and spiritual integration. It was both enlightening and encouraging to spend time with country directors, engineers, community development workers, technicians and accountants from four different countries as they discussed issues that they face and solutions that they have devised.

We plan to continue this capacity building process throughout the year in our Indonesia and Africa country programs and look forward to reporting on the outcomes.

Peace to you,

Andrew ArmstrongCommunity Development Programs Manager

See it in Action: HOnDURAS

last November, we commis-sioned a safe water project for the community of Bo. Colón, Honduras. Under our new community development and reporting model, we received this information from our tech-nician’s quarterly follow up visit in May. After more than six months of safe water access, the community of Bo. Colón expressed gratitude for the provision of safe water and noted the improvements in their health.

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Honduras, Mexico and Peru country program staff gathered for a group photo with Burt and Mae Dean Northam and Charleston engineers, Andrew Arm-strong and Seth Womble, before the close of their extensive training session.

Thank You, Volunteers!

March was an incredible month for Water Missions International (WMI). From the annual Charleston Walk for Water to the official move into our new facility in North Charleston, we accomplished an enormous amount with the help of our amazing volunteers.

One of the major projects our volunteers helped make possible was the installation of our new solar array that now powers our facility, one of the largest in South Carolina. SolarWorld, a longstanding strategic partner, joined with Mountain View Solar and SMA America to donate and in-stall the 450-panel array. With months of planning and help from volunteers, the installation took place in just one week. Funds normally designated to WMI operational costs can now be directed to safe water thanks to this gift.

During the same week we had more than 300 volunteers painting, hanging pictures and whiteboards, moving railroad ties, landscaping, digging trenches, running electrical wire, driving forklifts, moving dirt and accomplishing every task put in front of them, no matter the size. Thanks to our volun-teers, we have an inspiring home that helps us tell the story of transforming lives around the world.

We are very grateful to have each of you as a part of our family. You drive us. You inspire us. You motivate us. Millions of lives are being transformed with the love of Christ and with safe water because of your passion and commitment to Water Missions International. Thank you, volunteers!

One PASTOR’S qUeST TO MAke WATeR SUnDAY OVeRFlOW

When Pastor Gary Baldwin in Alexandria, LA, learned about Water Missions International’s efforts to combat the global water crisis, he felt called to be part of the solution. He quickly signed on his church, New Life Com-munity Church (NLCC), to participate in our Water Sunday program, which would soon change his life along with others in his congregation.

“I felt like God want-ed New Life Community Church to work with WMI. It was something we could do. If we could help stop 5,000 chil-dren from dying every day, we needed to do something!” said Pastor Baldwin.

Struck by how often churches work separately from one another, Pastor Baldwin had a vision to use NLCC’s partnership with WMI as a unifying project to collaborate with the diverse churches of Central Louisiana. His plan is to build an expanding network of churches, local businesses and community advocates that will partner together to provide safe and Living Water for people in Uganda. He hopes to multiply the network of those involved every year through intentional efforts to draw more organizations into the fold.

Now in year two of their initiative, several area churches have joined New Life Community Church in their Water Sunday efforts. Encouraged by the progress and what God has already accomplished through them, Pastor Baldwin shared, “I feel that the churches of Central Louisiana can help Water Missions In-ternational and simultaneously demonstrate that churches of all kinds can work together with the community to do good things around the world.”

Your church can be part of the Water Sunday movement, too! To learn more about the resources we have available and how to get your church involved, please call Kevin Herr, church engage-ment coordinator, at (843) 769-7395.

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Want to pitch in? There are many great opportunities to volunteer at our international headquarters in Charleston, SC.

Contact Mike Fessler, volunteer coordinator, to learn more! mfessler@watermissions.org • (843) 769-7395

Pastor Gary Baldwin pictured during a mission trip to Mexico

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Let’s start a global discussion about safe water in every classroom. Check out our resources for students and

teachers today! www.lessonsinabucket.org

Are you a federal employee? Please consider pledging through our Combined Federal Campaign number:

11001

Get Connected!There are many ways to get connected with Water Missions International. Visit www.watermissions.org/get-involved to see what is available, or e-mail info@watermissions.org.

Water Missions Internationalwww.watermissions.org

Third Party Fundraiser Summer Highlights

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When Jeb Geesey and Justin Krobroth wanted to see a change in the global water crisis, they founded Solve Sunglasses. The company’s mission is simple: each pair of sunglasses purchased provides safe water for one person for life, through partnership with Water Missions International. To pick out a pair of their sweet shades for yourself and learn how Solve Sunglasses is helping us set our sights on the end of the global water crisis, visit their website, www.solvesunglasses.com.

Seeing Change with Solve Sunglasses

Solving the Global Water Crisis one SWiG at a time

Darryl & Kelly LaPlante decided to share a piece of their December wedding with the 780 million people who lack access to safe water. Instead of providing wedding favors, they chose to make a donation to Water Missions International in honor of each guest. Darryl has been highly involved with WMI for the last three years and they both fully believe in what the organization stands for. We are inspired by their unique contribution to our mission and hope that their giving nature will in turn be a blessing to their marriage.

Wedding Favors Thatlast Forever

A trip to Kenya in March of 2012 to visit a community served by WMI impacted Andrea Canberg so much so that she wanted to give back to our water projects one swig of water at a time. Her new business venture, SWIG Water, shares that ‘safe water is a gift.’ With 50 percent of all profits going to safe water initiatives, every purchase of their polar-insulated and stainless steel water bottles helps end the global water crisis. Check out their products at www.swig-water.com.

Your Monthly Gift is Their Daily Celebration!

Did you know that our Thirst Quenchers range in age from eight to 80 and help bolster the funding we need each and every month to keep safe water flowing? You can become a Thirst Quencher and support WMI for as little as $10 per month. Join other Thirst Quenchers and watch your impact grow throughout the years. To learn more, please visit www.watermissions.org/thirstquencher.

WMi Partners Join Forces

We love to see our corporate sponsors work together for the betterment of their organizations. Recently, SolarWorld and Grundfos solidified a mutually beneficial partnership where SolarWorld will be the world supplier to power Grundfos’ inno-vative solar-powered submersible water pumps. We are thrilled to see our partners make great connections that allow their businesses to flourish.

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We thrive off of your creative ways to fundraise and provide safe water around the world. To learn more about how you can host your own campaign or event, please visit www.watermissions.org/campaign.

uenchQQQQTransforming lives through sustainable safe water solutions

PO Box 31258 • Charleston, SC 29417Tel: (843) 769-7395 • Toll Free: (866) 280-7107Fax: (843) 763-6082 • www.watermissions.org

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Summer 2013

Water Missions International is a nonprofit Christian engineering organization providing sustainable safe water and sanitation solutions for people in developing countries and disaster areas. Using state-of-the-art technology and engineering expertise, the organization has provided access to safe water for more than 2.4 million people in 49 countries on five continents since 2001. Water Missions International implements customized solutions through a comprehensive community development model in its nine permanent country programs in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.

Notably, Charity Navigator has awarded Water Missions Interna-tional their top rating seven years in a row, a distinction shared by only two percent of the charities rated by the organization. To learn more about Water Missions International, visit www.watermissions.org.

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