What do you think is the most vital commodity needed by a poor country? Grain staples? Protein? Medicine? Shelter from the elements? 
The answer — water. Thirty percent of rural Bolivians lack access to a safe water source. Bolivia has the lowest rate of access to potable water in South America. Water-borne disease is the number one killer in Bolivia today Infants and children are the ones most dangerously affected.
Safe Water for Impoverished Communities has one radical aim: stop unnecessary infant and childhood deaths by securing safe water sources and sanitation facilities.
In most of mountainous Bolivia, capping natural springs is the preferred method of acquiring clean water. It often looks like muddy bogs, but with some masonry, concrete, pipes, and drainage ditches, a reliable supply of pure water can be secured for the entire community. Often the spring is located above the village, so gravity is used to run the water down to the village by pipeline. This dependable system lasts for decades with minimal maintenance.
When there are no springs, hand-dug wells, household bio-sand filters, machine-drilled wells and ponds are used instead.
By far the most challenging aspect of the Safe Water programme is mobilising the local community. So far, 30 family groups have been casting reinforced concrete rings for high-quality hand-dug wells. The families successfully worked out a method of sharing the much-in-demand sets of ring molds and many family groups have now completed the 18 rings needed.
Next, the family groups begin digging, lowering the rings in place, and finishing their wells. Other than a few minor technical details, the project is owned and run by the community with great enthusiasm.
What an absolute delight to see the tremendous pride and clearly evident joy that the new well owners have in their wells
Just as SIM’s vision is to establish self-led, self-supporting, and self-propagating churches among every Bolivian ethnic group, so the Safe Water for Impoverished Communities project aims to inspire and effect changes that will enable communities to stand on their own physically. In every instance the project seeks to disciple local believers and leaders, equipping them in holistic ministry.
Operating a water development ministry is not cheap, we need gifts to cover expenses that are not afforded by the local community. These gifts pay for:
- steel pipe
- construction materials
- fuel for our truck
- hygiene education materials
- wages for part-time Bolivian construction technicians and community mobilizers
A cup of water shouldn’t put infants and children at risk of disease and death.
