Impressions from Homer and Mary Goering after their trip to Ethiopia, where they were able to join in the celebration and inauguration of the water project they funded. 

Traveling with the Water to Thrive group in Ethiopia was a life-changing, informative, emotional, and rewarding experience.  Coming face to face with the poverty of the villages clearly illustrated the stark difference between our own materialistic lives and their daily struggles to survive. However, there are similarities – the need to provide for family, a faith in God’s blessings, and a community that shares both hardships and celebrations.

We did not expect to visit “our well” on this trip. What a surprise! We truly appreciate the hard work and coordination that went into its completion ahead of schedule. It was a humbling experience to see the difference our donation will make for a village of 50 families. The wonderful celebration and their generous gifts of food, coffee, and honey touched our hearts deeply. We saw firsthand how clean water will improve the lives of 250 people in this village. This has motivated us to share our story with others who may be willing respond to the need of God’s children in Africa.

 

We are impressed by the model which W2T uses to improve the success and longevity in its projects, including:

  • Advance training in maintenance and hygiene
  • The water committee for effective user rules
  • The guard assigned to each individual well to protect the project’s integrity
  • The modest user fees required from the individual users to provide backup maintenance funding as well as a sense of ownership

The burdens on the women’s backs, the oxen pulling the simple plows in the fields, and the donkeys, cattle, and goats on the “roads” are vivid memories of this trip. But the dearest memories of all are feeling the children’s hands clutching ours and seeing their beautiful smiles.

 

Impressions from Homer and Mary Goering after their trip to Ethiopia, where they were able to join in the celebration and inauguration of the water project they funded. 

Traveling with the Water to Thrive group in Ethiopia was a life-changing, informative, emotional, and rewarding experience.  Coming face to face with the poverty of the villages clearly illustrated the stark difference between our own materialistic lives and their daily struggles to survive. However, there are similarities – the need to provide for family, a faith in God’s blessings, and a community that shares both hardships and celebrations.

We did not expect to visit “our well” on this trip. What a surprise! We truly appreciate the hard work and coordination that went into its completion ahead of schedule. It was a humbling experience to see the difference our donation will make for a village of 50 families. The wonderful celebration and their generous gifts of food, coffee, and honey touched our hearts deeply. We saw firsthand how clean water will improve the lives of 250 people in this village. This has motivated us to share our story with others who may be willing respond to the need of God’s children in Africa.

 

We are impressed by the model which W2T uses to improve the success and longevity in its projects, including:

  • Advance training in maintenance and hygiene
  • The water committee for effective user rules
  • The guard assigned to each individual well to protect the project’s integrity
  • The modest user fees required from the individual users to provide backup maintenance funding as well as a sense of ownership

The burdens on the women’s backs, the oxen pulling the simple plows in the fields, and the donkeys, cattle, and goats on the “roads” are vivid memories of this trip. But the dearest memories of all are feeling the children’s hands clutching ours and seeing their beautiful smiles.