A well brings water and hope to Gbanahun

About five miles outside of Mercy’s largest Outreach center of Tikonko  is a tiny village called Gbanahun. The people of this village have had to walk almost 3 miles each day to a swamp in order to fetch water, carrying the heavy water buckets back to be used at home.  This sole source of water was used for drinking, cooking, bathing, laundry, and waste. This made the water extremely unhygienic, causing high rates of deadly waterborne illnesses such as diarrhea and typhoid in the village.

A well project funded by HCW Partner Church, Bethel United Methodist Church, has given the village new hope.  Mercy Hospital identified the need for the well in Ghanahun, and hired Deep Well Ministries (A Christian organization) to dig it. The well has the capacity to serve 500 people. “I call this a redeemer project,” says Jinnah Lahai, Mercy Hospital Administrator. “The well has redeemed the people of Gbanahun from a condition of struggle.  The stream they were using caused so many medical problems. I was really affected when I saw the water they were drinking from. I wouldn’t even give dogs water like that; it’s terrible to imagine people being forced to use it.  There was just no other option until now.”
 
Outreach Coordinator Mohamed Khadar shared his joy as well. “The well has made a huge impact on the village. Previously, they were drinking dirty swamp water that sometimes dried up during the dry season. Then they would have to walk even further to another village to get water, which was also not good. They now have the water facility and are able to carry on their daily activities.”  The people of Gbanahun are so grateful that they are now hoping for help to build a church in the village, so that they may offer their praise to God for this gift.