Imagine this is your daughter fetching water in the container on top of her head. It’s heavy and who knows how long she had to travel to find it. This is the reality of girls in Africa and Asia.
Today is World Water Day and this year’s theme is: Nature for Water – exploring nature-based solutions to the water challenges we face in the 21st century.
According to the World Water Day Organization, “damaged ecosystems affect the quantity and quality of water available for human consumption. Today, 2.1 billion people live without safe drinking water at home; affecting their health, education and livelihoods. Sustainable Development Goal 6 commits the world to ensuring that everyone has access to safe water by 2030, and includes targets on protecting the natural environment and reducing pollution.”
Preserving nature will keep our water clean and that will benefit us. Polluted environment leads to polluted water which leads to poor health or death. Water is something that many of us take for granted which is a shame in some countries, many people face a water crisis. For them, clean water would be their talisman because it would protect them from diseases which could lead to death.
Water connects every aspect of life. Access to safe water and sanitation can quickly turn problems into potential – unlocking education, work opportunities, and improved health for women, children and families across the world.
Today, 1 in 9 people lack access to safe water; 1 in 3 people lack access to a toilet. More people have a mobile phone than a toilet. We can change this.
Check out this video.
I cringe when I see how people waste water. One of my relatives lets the kitchen pipe run while she is busy doing other things. Once when we were visiting her and my husband saw her doing that, he turned off the tap. All that wasted water going down the sink and there are families who don’t have any running water for bathing, washing or cooking. Tap water is better than no water and it can always be boiled.
The water crisis is a women’s crisis. And here’s why:
Photo: Getty Images
Women are disproportionately affected by the water crisis, as they are often responsible for collecting water. This takes time away from work, school and caring for family. Lack of water and sanitation lock women in a cycle of poverty.
Empowering women is critical to solving the water crisis. Involving women can make water projects 6 to 7 more times effective. When women have access to safe water, they can pursue skills outside of their traditional roles and experience greater autonomy and independence.
Women and girls spend up to six hours collecting water. They travel long distances to find it and then have to retrace their steps back home, carrying heavy containers.
It is a health crisis because many don’t have access to safe, clean water and as a result, many die from water, sanitation and hygiene related diseases. Having access to safe water will reduce child and maternal mortality rates, improved health, reduced physical injuries from constantly carrying heavy loads of water and reduce the risk of rape, assault and danger and increased safety for women and girls face when they have no choice but to go to remote and dangerous places to relieve themselves.
The water crisis is an education crisis because it is the responsibility of the children to collect water for their families. It reduces their time in class and being able to play. And 1/3 of schools lack access to basic water and sanitation. Can you imagine this happening in your child’s school?
It is an economic crisis. Without access to safe water, families are unable to pursue education and work opportunities that would break the cycle of poverty. The loss of money due to lack of basic water and sanitation is staggering. It is simply amazing how much of a difference access to clean water would make in the lives of so many people.
We are encouraged to take action because everyone should be entitled to safe water.
ADRA Canada is changing lives by providing people with new ways to access, conserve, purify and use water. With your partnership ADRA is able to provide families with life-giving water. You can help provide water to those without.
Watch this video and think about how you would like to help ADRA Canada to give the gift of water.
She had photographed many men but this one took the cake. This was her first trip to Scotland for a photo shoot for the fashion magazine she worked for. She had never seen a man in a kilt before but this guy looked incredible in the traditional garb. He wore it extremely well. And those smoldering eyes and rugged looks didn’t hurt.
She willed herself to remain professional and just do the job at hand. However, she couldn’t help wishing that she could exchange places with the glamorous woman standing beside him. Perhaps, she could ask the woman to take a photo of her with him after the shoot and…
Don’t be silly, she chided herself. You are here to do a job. Just do it.
She continued clicking away and was relieved when it was over. She was packing up her gear when he joined her. She tried not to give away the fact that she was as nervous as a schoolgirl with a crush and smiled sedately.
“Callum,” he said with that Scottish lilt that was as disarming as his smile.
She held out her hand. “Holly.” He clasped it in firm but warm handshake. She felt a bolt of electricity course through her body. Their eyes met and held for what seemed like eternity. He was holding her hand a lot longer than was necessary, not that she minded, of course, but she could feel her face grow hot. He seemed to realize it too and released her hand, almost apologetically.
“Is this your first time in Edinburgh?” he asked, after clearing his throat.
“It’s my first time in Scotland.”
“How long are you here for?”
“I’m here for another two weeks. I’m here for the International Fashion Festival and after that I’m off to Glasgow to check out the boutiques. Then it’s back to London.”
“If you’re not busy tomorrow, I’d like to take you out for lunch and then on a tour around the city.”
She couldn’t believe it. He wanted to take her out to lunch and show her around Edinburgh. “I’d like that,” she said. “I’ll get a chance to try your national dish.”
He laughed. “I’ll take you to best place where they serve Haggis,” he promised.
“It’s a deal.” Not only was he handsome but he was really friendly and easygoing. She felt very relaxed with him and was looking forward to seeing him the next day. She wrote down the name of the hotel where she was staying and handed it to him. “Bye.”
“See you tomorrow, Holly.” Oh, how good her name sounded in the Scottish accent, she thought as she walked away. She made a mental note to thank Margo for assigning her to the photo shoot here in Scotland instead to the one in Paris.
Naomi was a Christian. She grew up praying to Jesus as a Friend and reading the Bible so that she could get to know Him better. So great was her love for God that it was natural to believe that when she had children, she would pass on her faith to them. However, things didn’t turn out quite as she expected.
Naomi’s parents arranged her marriage and although the wedding was held in the church and followed all the Christian traditions, her husband was of a different religion. Can you imagine being in Naomi’s shoes? You were raised to love the Lord. You look forward to going to church and worshipping Him in His sanctuary with others who share your faith. Then, one day, you are forced to stop going to church because your husband won’t allow you. And to make matters worse…your husband is an alcoholic.
Shortly after the wedding, Tarak’s alcoholism reared its ugly head. He had a steady job as a truck cleaner but spent the money he earned on drinks or cigarettes. As a result it was a struggle just to have the bare necessities. The struggle only increased when they had Oppilmani and Sadhya, born two years apart. Now Naomi had two growing children to feed not to mention providing them with clothing and education. Overwhelmed, she was compelled to reflect on her life before she got married. With a penitent heart she began to pray.
She didn’t tell Tarak that she repented of her neglect of God or that she was praying for the family’s restoration. She didn’t tell him that she was praying for him–that he would stop drinking. Can you imagine how hard it must have been for Naomi to keep these things to herself? How she must have longed to tell her family about Jesus and how only He could help them. Then, hope came in the form of Gospel for Asia Pastor Zaafir when he came to their village. God heard her prayers and He sent help.
Naomi began to speak to Pastor Zaafir frequently and began attending church again. As she grew in the Lord, Pastor Zaafir helped her to enroll Oppilmani and Sadhya in the local Bridge of Hope center. This proved to be a blessing for the children. They excelled in their studies and learned about Jesus. How it must have brought joy to their mother who had dreamed of telling them about the Friend she had since she was a child.
The joy was short-lived, however. Tarak’s animosity returned and he began to verbally abuse his wife when she attended church and insisted that the family follow his religion. In the wake of this new wave of opposition Naomi attended church less but refused to stop going altogether. All the while she continued praying for her family even as they were about to face a crisis…
…pray without ceasing – 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Tarak’s years of drinking and smoking finally began to take a toll on his health. What began as asthma quickly turned into something very serious and unmanageable. How terrifying it must have been for his family when he began vomiting blood. He couldn’t eat anything. However, the waves of nausea and the vomiting didn’t stop Tarak from continuing to drink alcohol. Within a few days, he was taken to the hospital where doctors determined that he had a serious lung infection. If he didn’t have an operation he would die. What was the family to do? For years Tarak had spent his income on alcohol. There wasn’t enough money for the operation.
Naomi and the children, went home, bracing themselves for a future without her husband. The children continued to attend the Bridge of Hope center but it didn’t take long for the staff to notice that something was wrong. When they inquired, Oppilmani told them about his father’s condition and that the family couldn’t pay for the surgery. The staff offered words of encouragement and hope. They assured the boy that Jesus could solve his problems and then they decided to visit the family.
The coordinator of the centre went with two social workers and GFA’s pastor Bahurai to the family’s home where they saw an alarmingly thin Tarak who looked much older than his age of 35 years. The group shared God’s Word and encouraged the family to ask for His mercy. The Lord spoke to Tarak’s heart and the father confessed his wrongdoings to God. From that moment on, there was a transformation. Naomi no longer faced opposition from her husband and she was free to regularly attend prayer meetings. She, the pastor and other believers prayed for Tarak’s healing. He began to recover slowly and he opened his heart to the God who was healing him.
Tarak no longer insisted that his family worship his god or protest his wife’s church going. Instead he brought the children to church. It took a life-threatening illness for Tarak to know the true God.
God had answered the prayers of a mother who had known Him all of her life. She had turned back to Him after she was forced to neglect Him–knowing that He was her only Source of comfort, hope and deliverance. God heard the prayers of a wife who wanted her husband to stop drinking. He heard the prayers of a mother who wanted her children to worship the true God and go to school. He heard the prayers of a woman who wanted to free her family from their struggles.
The insistent prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective – James 5:16
What a wonderful end to this story. A man once opposed to wife’s God had embraced Him. Oppilmani and Sadhya who once worshipped a traditional god was now worshipping the Creator. They will continue their family’s legacy by raising the next generation to serve the God who had brought them hope amidst adversity. As for Naomi, she watched the Lord do amazing things for her family. “Jesus turned our trouble into happiness,” she said, “and we are ever thankful to Jesus.”
You can help to do amazing things for other families like Naomi’s by sponsoring Bridge of Hope children. Your sponsorship will open the door for children to share Christ’s love with their families. If you are interested in learning more about Bridge of Hope visit this link.
I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy, For You have considered my trouble; You have known my soul in adversities – Psalm 31:7
I told them that even if their situation seems like a mountain, God is mightier than the problem – Nitya
Can you imagine being so poor that you live in a shack made of cardboard and plastic? What if you had to struggle daily just to survive? Imagine sharing a shanty with ten other families because you and your family can’t afford your own space? This is the reality for people in India who dwell in slums.
In India, slums are growing rapidly. Millions are living in extreme poverty and everyday is a struggle for survival. They are trapped in a world filled with desperation and hopelessness. Open sewage, polluted water, lack of healthcare, illiteracy, superstition and diseases such as tuberculosis and AIDs are some of the problems they face. It is a constant battle for them to find or keep a job. No job meant that they would have to beg, scavenge or turn to prostitution. It’s worst for them if they were too sick or too old to work because there was no social agency to help them to survive. This is why many of them turned to alcohol for solace. When the men drowned their sorrows and fears in alcohol, their wives and children were left to fend for themselves. One woman who was a tailor had to work outside because there was not enough room in her tiny hut.
People should not be living like this. And this is why God had to intervene. He did so through a man named Nitya. Nitya had a dream about a shack by the sewer. And he moved into one! How many of us would leave our nice, comfy, clean homes and families to live in a slum among complete strangers? Nitya had no reservations. Why? He knew that God had called him to serve in the slums. Sometimes the harvest is in places that we normally wouldn’t imagine ourselves going but when God calls us to go, we go. Nitya made his home among the slum dwellers and through his actions, demonstrated God’s love and acceptance.
In Nitya’s eyes, these people were God’s children. God called him and is calling others to share the Good News of Jesus with people who are hurting and are shunned by society.
Watch this video of Nitya–a real life hero who has a true servant’s heart.
God transformed the lives of the people in the slum. Darkness gave way to light and despair turned into hope. When Nitya found out that children were unable to go to school because their parents could afford to send them, he started a Bridge of Hope centre. At the centre, children learn about Jesus, receive quality education, medical care and daily meals.
Nitya also began holding worship services. At first the attendance was low due to lack of interest but now more than 40 people attend. At each service Nitya teaches them from the Bible and prays for them. Thankful for the hope they have found in Jesus, believers take part in Communion to remember the great sacrifice He made for them.
One couple’s lives changed dramatically, thanks to the church. Achal and Malika used to follow their traditional gods and Achal beat Malika but one day she slipped into a coma. Nitya, his wife and other believers prayed for her and she was healed. When Achal and Malika saw the Lord’s power, they gave their hearts to Christ. Today they are among His faithful followers.
How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:
“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” – Romans 10:14, 15
The Goa slum is home to the illegal prostitution trade. Life seemed hopeless for the people there until a Gospel for Asia missionary team began to visit the area, bringing hope in the form of Gospel literature.
As I went through the photo gallery of Team Ministers of Slum Area, tears came to my eyes. It drove home the fact that there are people out there who will gladly accept the Good News if only there were people to share it with them. These photos touched my heart.
“Most of the people they meet are open to the Gospel message. Almost immediately they become engrossed in reading the literature.”
“After he told them the Good News, many raised their hands, indicated that they wanted to follow Jesus. John is the pastor of a GFA-supported church in this area of Goa. He is overjoyed to see so many from the slum become part of the Body of Christ.”
Find out more about Gospel for Asia’s Slum Ministry and see how the work they began in 1999 is still impacting the masses of “desperate people who have no means whatsoever to better their situation or escape their surroundings.” Share Nitya’s story and take a look at the photos. Pray for the slum dwellers and the missionaries of the Slum Ministry. Ask God how you can help.
300 million Dalits or “Untouchables” comprise the lowest rung of the still-practiced Hindu caste system. These people are despised, viewed as subhuman, and treated like dirt – Gospel for Asia
A small girl walks barefoot around a half-starved dog lying in her path. She picks her way over garbage and sewer-sodden ground as she approaches the rag hut that is her home. She is unaware that life could be lived any other way. This is a day in the life of a Dalit – Gospel for Asia
What a sad existence for anyone, let alone a child. Children should be running around in a safe, healthy environment without a care in the world. They should not be robbed of their innocence or childhood. As a child, I never knew what poverty was. I had a house with a yard to run around in. I always had food to eat and a warm bed to sleep in. Unlike some countries where girls are not able to go to school, I was. These are things that I will never take for granted and am teaching my son the same.
As children we used to run around barefoot by choice. We had shoes but were more comfortable without them when playing in the yard. We just had to be careful that we didn’t step in anything. Our dogs were well fed. Some had kennels to sleep in while others curled up on the back steps. Here in Canada the stores are filled with different types of dog food and in some cities, children are obese. Yet, we have children like the Dalits who are living in poverty.
I look at this little girl’s dirty, tear streaked face and my heart breaks. In the eyes of her society, she is an untouchable, the lowest of the caste system. When she is older she would be segregated from the community, forbidden from entering a temple, as school and forced to stay outside of villages. People are going to go to great lengths to avoid contact with her. The only work she would be suitable for is the kind of work the rest of society regards as ritually impure such as the removal of rubbish, animal carcasses and human waste. She would do manual work like cleaning the streets or latrines and sewers. These kinds of jobs or activities would pollute her, making her contagious so she wouldn’t have much of a social life.
It seems to me that this little girl and the Dalit population are treated like lepers. Although there were reforms to help them, they still face discrimination. Although some have achieved affluence, the majority remain poor. In Nepal the highest dropout rates are among the Dalits at the primary school level. Dalit students are given scholarships only after they provide photos showing family members working in traditional occupations. Dalit children are discriminated in the state schools and in some instances are required to sit at the back of the classroom. If this little girl were able to go to school, she would be forbidden to touch the mid-day meals and sit separately at lunch. She may be required to eat with specially marked plates. If she goes to high schools, the higher caste students may be advised not to mingle with her. This little girl deserves better than this.
Are you interested in helping this little girl and others like her to have a bright future? Do you want to find out how you can help Gospel for Asia to reach out to them and let them know that there is a God who loves them and in whose eyes they are precious? What about sharing with them a loving Saviour who died for them because He values them and sees them as precious treasures? Then here click on this link and see what you can do to turn things around for the Dalits who are not “dirt” but are clay made by the Potter’s hands.
But now, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand – Isiah 64:8
For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers – 1 Peter 3:12
Not so long ago, Nepal was devastated by two earthquakes and as a result lives and homes were lost and now the people face another potential loss that could be just as devastating. They are at risk of losing their religious freedom.
Riots and protests are going on in response to a recent draft of the country’s constitution; a process that’s been in the works since the Nepali monarchy was dispelled in 2007. Many are demanding that Nepal return to its traditional religious roots, while religious minorities fear for their freedom to practice and share their faith if this draft of the constitution goes unchanged – Gospel for Asia
Currently the constitution declares that Nepal is a secular state and protects people’s rights to worship freely. However, this could change if the government decides to go along with those who are calling for the country to return to its traditional religion.
If you’d like to learn more about the Nepal Constitution and how you can pray, please visit the GFA webpage here: http://www.gfa.org/nepal/constitution/
Many of us live in countries where we can freely worship. Religious freedom is a right that no one should be denied. We and our children have the right to go to church and worship God in safety.
Let us pray that the new constitution will allow God’s people to continue to practice and share their faith. The enemy is fighting to prevent the Gospel from spreading and this is why religious freedom in Nepal is under attack. We must remember that he is a defeated foe and that God is in control. Together we can make a difference. Let us lift up our Christian brothers and sisters in Nepal in prayer and ask almighty God to impart His wisdom on the Nepalese government so that the country remains a place where religious liberty is preserved and protected in spite of those who want to do away with it.
The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man availsmuch – James 5:16
