Local Church Receives Grant to Install Wells in Africa

August 17, 2012, SOUTHBURY, CT– Churchgoers from Calvary Chapel Southbury recently returned from a mission trip to Malawi and Mozambique where they celebrated the opening of several new wells they have installed to provide clean drinking water for the people who live there.  One of these wells was funded in part by a generous grant the church received last year from the Wireless Zone Foundation for Giving.

Imagine if every time you needed water, you had to walk miles to get to it and then stand in line for hours for your turn to fill your bucket.  This is the daily reality for the women living in Malawi and Mozambique.  A local church, Calvary Chapel Southbury, has been improving life dramatically for many by installing boreholes (wells) in various places – 7 so far this year.  As a result, cases of cholera have disappeared in areas where diarrhea and even death were once accepted as an expected side effect of drinking filthy water – water that often was collected from an area where cattle and other animals were drinking from also.

Late last year, Calvary Chapel Southbury was nominated for and received a grant from the Wireless Zone Foundation for Giving, to help them with this important project.

In Lazo village, the borehole that Calvary Chapel installed is currently serving 8 villages -approximately 4,000 people (they are intended to serve 2,000 – 2,500 people).  As a result, women are lining up from 3:00 to 6:00 AM to collect water and in some cases, even sleeping by the borehole at night so they can be first in line.  They need to collect water early so they can return home in time to collect food for their family as well as wash their children for school.  Needless to say, more boreholes are needed.  Calvary Chapel is currently working with 7 more villages, preparing them for installation of a borehole.

If you would like more information or to find out how you can help, please call the church at 203.267.5441, email them at calvary@calvarysouthbury.com, or visit their website at www.calvarysouthbury.com.