Lent Appeal

Imagine being so thirsty that you'd drink dirty water

You know it could make you seriously ill. But you have no choice. This is the reality that many families living without safe water face every day. Parents often have to spend what little they have on medical bills, and children are forced to miss school while they recover – if they recover.

This is an injustice. We can't simply stand by. Jesus calls us to act.

When the only option is dirty water

Korka and Simone live in areas of Mali where safe water is hard to find. Local wells are the only source of water, but it’s far from safe. ‘During the rainy season, the water we drink is filled with dirt from animal excrement and litter that gets into the well,’ Simone shared.

The well often dries up completely. Without water, their family’s crops will fail again. Crops that are their main source of food and income.

So many families around the world are trapped in this agonising cycle of extreme poverty. You can help bring change today.

More families need your help this Easter

For Sharai, in Zimbabwe, the old water tap she used, which serves five villages, meant long queues and endless manual pumping. It was back-breaking. ‘I have a baby… I had to pump water while carrying him… There were days when the water tap was not working, and we had no water at all. It was frightening.’

In partnership with Zimbabwe’s Council of Churches, new water systems have been built and existing water supplies have been repaired. Water is now flowing directly from the taps installed in Sharai’s, Korka’s and Simone’s villages. However, much more can be done for communities around the world to lift themselves out of extreme poverty. Sharai adds, ‘We really need another water tap. There are too many people depending on this one.’

Change is underway around the world – whether it’s meeting immediate needs in disaster relief or refugee camps, or building a community's resilience to future crises. Your faithful support means wells are being restored, and safe, local water points created. Where unsafe water was once threatening lives, your support helps Tearfund's clean water projects and other initiatives to reach more families. That's life-changing.