Tedo

photo by Jason Wallis

Hero

photo by Jason Wallis

Eluzai is our hero.

As we interviewed ladies from the village of Tedo, he sat and listened to our questions about the health of the community. Then the conversation turned to the spiritual. When we were told by one lady that she did not know what she believed about the afterlife, Eluzai spoke up.

He explained the gospel with a very clear understanding and we then we learned that each Sunday he gathers the children from the village and hikes miles to church.

Heʼs making disciples in Tedo, Sudan.

Henry and Bethany

photo by Jason Wallis

Meet Henry and Bethany.

Itʼs estimated that water-related illnesses cost 443 million school days a year.

Children who suffer from constant water-related illnesses also suffer profound disadvantages even when they can attend school. For their poor health directly reduces cognitive potential and indirectly undermines education through absenteeism, attention deficit, and early drop-out.

Village of Tedo

photo by Jason Wallis

Ashanta

photo by Jason Wallis

On each visit to Sudan we like to go back to villages that have had a well for a year or longer to make sure that the project is still in good condition and visit some of the people weʼve met over the years.

This trip we visited with Ashanta and her family at the village of Tukyi. They have been using the well regularly for a year now and have enjoyed the gift of clean water given to them in partnership with the local church.

Scopus

photo by Jason Wallis

Scopus visited with us during our time in Doro and was able to draw us a very detailed map of their village showing us where different groups lived, where they grow their crops and where the closest water supplies are for the community. He also serves as the health clinic administrator.

Itʼs always fascinating to see how much the people know and love their village!

Vida

photo by Jason Wallis

Vida gathers water for her family from the village of Dorro.

Nancy of Doro

photo by Jason Wallis

Nancy is a member of her local church and a mother of three. When we visited with Nancy she walked us almost a mile down the road to show us where she daily collects water for her family.

Having lost one child herself, she told us of many children in Doro who have passed away from diarrhea caused by drinking contaminated water.

Coming alongside the local church in Sudan, clean water allows them to give a practical demonstration of the love of Christ and care for their people who have suffered so many years of civil war.

Miri Kalanga

photo by Jason Wallis

Joy & Sabina go to school in the village of Miri-Kalanga where they just received a new well just weeks ago. The local pastor is a friend we call Coffee and preaches the gospel each Sunday to the church that meets just yards away from the school.

Itʼs estimated that over 150 million school-age children are severely affected by waterborne parasites such as roundworm, hookworm, guinea worm and whipworm...some even carrying up to 1,000 parasites at a time, causing anemia, stunted growth, and other debilitating conditions. Please pray for the health of children all over the world who suffer from lack of access to clean water.

Franco

photo by Jason Wallis

Our partners in southern Sudan, International Aid Services, have dedicated teams of Sudanese who work side by side with the local church and local community to provide access to clean water.

Water committees are selected and educated on the best way to maintain the hand-pump as well as general sanitation and hygiene lessons to be retaught to the community. In addition, two technicians are chosen out of the community to undergo extensive pump repair in order to ensure sustainability of the project.

Siliya

photo by Jason Wallis

We were visiting with Siliya for a while before we noticed that she was carrying her daughter, Rota, on her hip wrapped in dig dig skin. She is the mother of four and this is the first time her children have access to clean water available to their community.

Millions of women and children spend on average 15 to 20 hours per week collecting water for their families due to the long distances they must travel.

Charity

photo by Jason Wallis

This is Charity, Desa's mother.  She's carrying a five gallon jerry can full of clean water from their new well.  Before this well was dug, she used to walk miles and fill that jerry can with contaminated water that had the potential to harm her family.

Desa

photo by Jason Wallis

This is Desa.  She and her mother live in the village of Mosa and they both used to hike for miles during the rainy season to find contaminated water.  Now they have access to clean and safe water and we all couldn't be happier!

Taban

photo by Jason Wallis

Taban is a typical child in southern Sudan. Around dusk the women and children set out to gather water for the evening activities of cooking, drinking and bathing.

Most children, however, do not have bikes like Taban and usually carry their water on foot.

Awa

photo by Jason Wallis

In the village of Jambo, Awa gathers clean water from a new well provided by some of our generous sponsors. For the women of this community of almost 700 residents, gathering daily water usually meant collecting it from shallow holes which were nothing more than mud puddles.

Now they can collect their water from this new well where the women and children no longer worry about getting sick or walking miles during the dry season.

Kent

photo by Jason Wallis

Kent and his friends emerged from the forrest in the village of Maribah. He is the water committee secretary and has been trained on caring for the communityʼs new well as well as proper sanitation and hygiene.

Although agriculture is the communityʼs source of subsistence, these primitive weapons are still used for hunting or defending against predators and other tribes.

Lui Hospital

photo by Jason Wallis

Lui Hospital was run for a while by Samaritans Purse but now is being managed by the local church and government.  This is the hospital where we first saw the devastating effects of dirty water on children.

Mundri

photo by Jason Wallis

Mundri is our 'base' in Sudan for all practical purposes.  This is where we've been coming since 2006 and where we first fell in love with the people of Sudan.  Here, Jason captures some of the kids right after their choir rehearsal for church the next morning.

Amelia

photo by Jason Wallis

This is Amelia from the village of Meribah.  This new well was provided in her village this fall where before they were walking up to four miles during the dry season.  They all told us of children who has died from diarrhea related to the dirty water they were drinking.  We thank God for the opportunity to bring them clean water through the local church.

Kyidumakarak

Sudan - photo by Spencer Sutton

In the village of Kyidumakarak the community has just received water for the first time.

Baya

Sudan

We met Baya in the village of Kas Alokado while he and his mom were collecting water. 

Displaced

Sudan - photo by Spencer Sutton

This villages is known as an IDP camp. Now that the war is over, these people have resettled and when we brought them clean water they had not yet decided on a name for their new village.

Smiling

Sudan - photo by Spencer Sutton

Nothing beats the smiles in Sudan. No matter the hardships and war, they will always greet you with a large smile and warm friendship.

Waiting

Sudan - photo by Spencer Sutton

In Mundri, Sudan a young boy waits his turn to gather water at one of the local pumps.

Teamwork

Sudan - photo by Spencer Sutton

Our partners on the ground work hard in Sudan...but they don't mind posing for a picture or two either.

From the air

Sudan - photo by Spencer Sutton

This is Mundri and you can see the Mundri International Airport. It's the dirt strip that makes the 'T' in this picture! Always our first stop flying into South Sudan.  

Victoria

Sudan - photo by Spencer Sutton

We met Victoria in January during the dry season. Soon, this hand dug hole in the ground will dry up, forcing her to walk miles in search of another water source.

Signs of war

Sudan - photo by Spencer Sutton

This sign says 'Danger - Mines'. Leftover land mines from a 21 year civil war still scatter the landscape of South Sudan.

Charity Jackson

Sudan - photo by Spencer Sutton