Showing the Love of God Through the Gift of Clean Water

8-year-old Jesús lives with his Grandma and 3 brothers in a remote community called La Cuchilla, Choluteca in Honduras. Finding enough water to drink and for daily use has been one of their greatest challenges.  

Jesús knows it’s been hard for his Grandma to walk the nearly one hour round trip to the river to collect buckets filled with water. “Carrying water has been very difficult,” Jesús told CBN. “I told my brothers, ‘Let's help Grandma and get water from the river.’” So that what the boys have all been doing. 

But six months out of the year water in a community well and in the river is more limited.

“The summer is so harsh that the river dries up and the well doesn’t have enough to give water to everyone in the community,” said Yadira, the boys’ grandmother. 
 
Jesús said sometimes they’re forced to drink the river water even though they know it is not safe for human consumption. “People wash clothes in it. People get sick because they drink that water. They get a fever and diarrhea.”

Jesús’ younger brother is one of the children who got sick from drinking bad water.  

“My grandchildren have suffered a lot from the water, especially when the wells dried up,” Yadira told us with tears in her eyes. 
 
When Operation Blessing learned of the problem our engineers came up with a plan to help. Working in partnership with a local foundation, and with help from members of the community, we built a municipal water storage and distribution system that included a 15,000 gallon water tank and a network of pipes that brought clean, purified water to a 145 homes, 3 churches and 2 schools! 

Jesús and his family now have a water tap at their home, with plenty of fresh, clean water for bathing, washing, and drinking!  

“Now we have water with us,” said Yadira, “My grandchildren can bathe. I can wash their clothes. I thank the Lord that we no longer suffering. We are so grateful for the project!”