Make life flow

|PIC1|"Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water." John 4:15

When the Samaritan woman went to the well that day she got more than she bargained for. Jesus' initial request for a simple drink of water led to her town's total transformation.

On this World Water Day (22 March), water is still changing lives. In the UK we take access to clean water for granted, but for 900 million people around the world a drink of water is out of reach. And half the girls in sub-Saharan Africa who drop out of primary school do so because of poor water and sanitation facilities.

If the need for clean water and decent sanitation could be met, it would quench more than the initial thirst: access to water and sanitation can unlock material and spiritual transformation for whole communities.

Wude Osman knows the power of water well. Wude is the mother of two beautiful young daughters in the Ethiopian village of Jama. Before clean water came to her village she had to walk 90 minutes each way to a stream, queuing for as long as six hours to collect water insufficient to meet her family's basic needs. And the water was often dirty because lack of toilets had caused people to go by the river.

But in the past seven years, Tearfund local church partner Ethiopian Kale Heywet Church (EKHC) has provided seven new water points in Jama.

|PIC2|Having clean water in the centre of the community has allowed life to start flowing again for Wude and her family. Easy access has freed up hours of the time she used to spend walking and waiting.

When her husband died of Aids related illness she continued to run a small restaurant to provide income. But three years ago she discovered that she too was living with HIV. Because her health was failing, she could no longer run the business.

Thanks to medical treatment and clean water her health is improved. She is able to bathe every day to keep her skin in good condition and avoid infection. Improved health has allowed her to start working again, selling cooking supplies in her own shop.

Wude emphasises how much the provision of clean water has directly contributed to her ability to live healthily with HIV.

|PIC3|In the village of Jama the church has become a thriving part of community life. Wude says that "before the water project I was concerned with my own life and not really about religion. I have great honour and respect for the church which has addressed the core problem of our community".

Tackling water and sanitation is essential to achieving Tearfund's ten-year vision: to release 50 million people from material and spiritual poverty through a worldwide network of 100,000 local churches. Lack of global action in these areas undermines development fundamentally. But focusing on water and sanitation has the potential to make life flow.

For Wude, the gift of water goes on. Because of the difference clean water has made to her, she says, "I too have been able to extend that generosity by sharing my clean water with others."

As Christians we must do all we can through giving, acting and praying to make life flow for the world's poorest communities. Through Jesus' example we know that a trip to the well can be a life-changing experience.

Tearfund wants people to get involved in our Make life flow campaign by:

* Praying for effective global and local action to end this injustice and to bring God’s kingdom on earth
* Supporting our international campaign asking world leaders, including the UK Government, to take extraordinary action on water and sanitation by 2010.
* Giving £4 a month to help churches unlock material and spiritual transformation through the provision of essential services in poor communities.


If you want to know how you can support Tearfund's 'Make life flow' water and sanitation campaign visit: www.tearfund.org/makelifeflow or telephone: 0845 355 8355 to find out more.