Project Update: Chad Water Well

CHAD - In Rawdon, Quebec a group of twenty youth between the ages of 11 and 20 rallied together from Renaissance Bible Church to raise over $9000 for a new well project in Chad, Africa! The youth group had spent the past year raising $100 dollars in order to give a goat to a family that lived in an underprivileged country. However, after boldly agreeing upon aiming even higher with a water well, youth leaders Jordyn and Darcy Theriault wrote, “The next time we met all our donations added up to $100, which was equal to what we had gathered over the span of a whole year during our previous project. Over the course of the next 18 months, our main fundraising sources were money raised through events hosted by our church, such as: parades, garage sales, cans collected and turned in for deposit refunds, and donations from many people.” The youth group surpassed even their own expectations, which is covered in an earlier article on our website.

We’re excited to provide an update from Chad about the ongoing well project that the youth group has initiated and been in communication with. The project coordinator and team is “thrilled to have a partnership with the main donor. The youth group has been so encouraging. We have been in contact with each other multiple times, and it has been great to do this project together.”

Because of the funds raised by the youth group, in January the team began a Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) training, which enables communities to analyze their sanitation conditions, understand the impact, and help people decide together how they will create a clean and hygienic environment that benefits everyone. Leaders helped equip twenty-three trainees over a one week period. The funds allowed for the trainers to come from a far distance, paid for the trainees to attend and have meals together, and enabled the entire group to travel to five villages and give the training to the community. The project coordinator reported that, “It was great to see the whole group learn how to receive information, believe in it, and give it to others without any outside influence or promise of benefits.” Specifically, the training was based on the immediate need to stop open defecation and dig outhouses for each family.

One well is in the process of being drilled. The drilling began on May 31, and they have yet to find water in a location that can support a well. Although delays and breakdowns have occurred, the additional time has given leaders more time with the community. The gathering place typically happens on a mat in a local family’s home, where the well team was told that the current drinking water, “Is the colour of our bulls’ urine, but the flavour isn’t bad.” The well team continues their efforts to make a healthy, reliable source of water a reality.

Inspired by the youth group’s initiative? If you’d also like to be involved, contact us and we would be more than willing to resource and partner with you in providing safe, accessible water in an area where it is needed the most, or a different project that interests you. Anyone wishing to help the youth group’s water well project in Chad can assist by donating to CGR’s Water Well project fund through the button below, visiting our donation page, or by purchasing a gift catalogue item related to water. Downloadable cards through the catalogue are available, allowing gifts to be sent in the name of someone else.

Please continue sharing updates across social media to help promote Canadian Global Response initiatives, and keep checking our website for further information about ongoing partners and projects.