SAFE DRINKING WATER
FOR BENGALI KIDS
SUMMARY
The Church of God community in Sylhet, Bangladesh recognized the urgent need to address the issue of water contamination and limited access to safe water in the country—a severe public health concern. It is troubling to note that approximately 90% of the underground water in Bangladesh is already being used, yet almost 60% of the population still lacks access to safe drinking water, especially during the dry season each year.
Therefore, this project came alongside the Church in Sylhet to install clean drinking water wells in 10 different villages and a large water system at the Church of God Lumdonbok mission.
The installation of wells in each location meets both a physical need for clean water and shares the Hope of Living Water in Muslim and Hindu-majority communities.
Project # 42.30701
Resources
Background
Background
Though Bangladesh has for many years enjoyed almost universal access to drinking water, arsenic contamination of 22% of the country’s tube wells lowered the service coverage to below 80%. The availability of rainwater is also limited during the extreme dry season this region endures each calendar year. Rainwater and the arsenic contamination of much of the current tube wells for groundwater contribute to the high prevalence of arsenic poisoning and diseases. The government has adopted a number of policies to remedy the challenges. However, when this project began, the development work on water and sanitation had not reached villages in Sylhet.
Vision
Vision
The goal of this project was to provide each village with at least one well to give the families a year-round supply of clean, easily accessible water. Villages with more than twenty-five families received additional wells so that the larger communities were not relying on one water well.
STRATEGY
This project contracted with local people to place borehole water wells in ten different villages. A hand or electric pump – depending on the availability of electricity in each village – is now used to draw clean water from the bottom of each well. One deeper water system was installed at the Church of God Lumdonbok mission station. Access to clean water at Lumdonbok mission is a major blessing to the many believers who often gather on these grounds for worship, teaching, fellowship, and celebrations.
The Church of God in Sylhet, Bangladesh
The Church of God in Sylhet, Bangladesh
The Church of God Lumdonbok mission has been working for the spiritual development of the Church in the Sylhet region for more than 30 years among the ethnic minorities (Khasi, Garo and Tea Garden Community) and the Bengali community. These people groups are generally low-income and rural with limited access to development programs and support of government and non-government organizations. The spiritual, physical, social and economic development of the people are essential in building a self-sufficient church and skilled membership. This holistic approach is an key part of the church ministry to ensure sustainable development.
Since its beginning, the Church of God Lumdonbok Mission has responded to the needs of the communities with school/education programs and child sponsorship programs that played an important role in creating educated, healthy and skilled human resources. The coming of life-giving water would correspond with the coming of the Living Water that Christ offers to give eternal life as well.
Providing safe drinking water is such a blessing for the community and opens a door for the church to work more closely and openly with the surrounding communities.
Providing safe drinking water is such a blessing for the community and opens a door for the church to work more closely and openly with the surrounding communities.
Will you continue to pray for the Church of God in Bangladesh?
For more information, contact Global Strategy Projects at 800.848.2464 or GSProjects@chog.org.
