Monday, I returned home from volunteering with Marion Medical Mission, in Malawi and Zambia. The shallow wells are similar to those built on the Eastern Shore in the past, hand dug, bricked up and covered by a cement slab to seal out surface water contamination. I was part of the installation team.
We arrived at each village, after the well was built and installed the pipe and hand pump and got the water flowing. I helped with 90 wells, and the goal of MMM is 4,550 wells this season! Each well is a life changing event for the villagers. You can see it in the eyes of the Seniors and the smiles and laughter of the young girls. No more sickness and death from water born diseases. No more fetching water from open wells shared with the animals. No more walking for miles to access water.
The program is run by an incredible African team, and we go along to help install, dedicate and photograph each well. Each well costs $475 and is funded by donors in the US, people like You. Donors receive a card with a picture of the well they funded, surrounded by happy villagers and flowing clean water. To find out more, go to mmmwater.org or contact me, at [email protected] or 410-708-5498. Thank you for reading this incredible story!
Write a Letter to the Editor on this Article
We encourage readers to offer their point of view on this article by submitting the following form. Editing is sometimes necessary and is done at the discretion of the editorial staff.