Providing Clean Water for People in the Toughest Places
By Amanda DeWitt
Today 115 million people around the world are forced to collect water from unprotected lakes, ponds, rivers, or streams. Dirty water is their only option. That is why water filters make such a difference in the toughest places.
In villages that do not have a well, water filters are the only solution for obtaining clean, drinkable water. In times of disaster or in places where extreme terrain and arid conditions make drilling wells impossible, a filter provides people with their only source of clean water. For refugees and war victims, a filter can literally save lives.
Our local Unto® staff teams distribute water filters to people in need; they also provide training on how to properly use and care for them so they can last up to 10 years. Many times this creates opportunities for spiritual conversations to take place with those who have never heard about Jesus.
Take a look at all the places a water filter can go.
In places like rural Tanzania, families were once forced to drink dirty, brown water as their only option. The gift of a water filter allowed them to access clean water for drinking, cooking, hygiene and more. Many families also heard about hope.
In one water-scarce Guatemalan community, people had to boil their water in order for it to be safe for drinking. However, the cost of firewood was expensive, creating more economic challenges. A water filter helped relieve their suffering by providing a safe, effective option for clean water.
For many families in rural Southeast Asia, accessing clean water is difficult. Many water sources have been contaminated by chemicals and other pollutants, making them dangerous for drinking. A water filter helps provide entire families with all the safe, clean water they need for daily use.
The Massai people have traditionally been hard to reach physically and spiritually. As semi-nomadic people, accessing clean water is challenging. The gift of water filters allowed local Unto teams to tangibly meet needs and share the message of hope.
Even during the rainy season, water can be scarce in Southeast Asia. It also makes transportation difficult. The gift of water filters allows people to safely access clean water year-round and creates opportunities for sharing hope in unreached communities.
The gift of a water filter makes a significant impact on those who otherwise would not have clean water. They help meet people’s physical needs — making a way for their spiritual needs to be met too.
Provide Suffering People with Water Filters
Around the world, 115 million people are forced to collect water from unprotected lakes, ponds, rivers or streams. This puts them at a much greater risk of contracting deadly diseases like cholera, typhoid or dysentery. You can help! By the end of the year, Unto® plans to send 1,500 water filters to suffering people in hard-to-reach countries.
Published September 18, 2024
Amanda is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in Gift for Leadership, Kindred Spirit, and Christianity Today publications. She holds a M.A. in Media and Communication from Dallas Theological Seminary.
