By Todd Hardesty | Executive Director
Inside the thatch roofed meeting hall at Petit, South Sudan, village chiefs and leaders ask for help. This is a village of refugees in the middle of the largest swamp in Africa. Flooding and armed conflict forced thousands from their homes and now they are living on this small island. One after another the chiefs tell me that Petit doesn’t have a single water well or any latrines. Everyone drinks from the swamps and they are getting sick. Would “Alaska” come and help. Please!
It took the good part of a day for our assessment to get here, and it wasn’t easy. There isn’t a clear path through the swamp. Often our guides would jump into the water to push and pull our boat through the thick marsh grasses. How could we possibly get a 10-ton boat full of drilling material through this nearly impenetrable swampland?
After our meeting we posed for a photo and returned to our base at Paguir, South Sudan. Petit was added to the list of many places that need clean drinking water. But how would we transport everything that is needed? It seemed impossible—until the rains come this fall and the water rises. Petit would have to wait.
The wait wasn’t long. Villagers notified us in late March that if Alaska commits to come, they will prepare a path. We agreed.
Young men of the village cut, pushed, pulled and cleared a path through the thickest part of the swamp. Our team mobilized and set out for Petit. It wasn’t easy. The marshland is a floating maze. A path open today is easily closed by shifting currents and wind. As darkness fell on the marshland, our team was still stuck in the swamp. They would have to spend the night and see what the morning brings.
On day two, the drilling team made it to Petit. It was an amazing effort. Drill team members were almost up to their shoulders in the swamp. Pushing and tearing at the grasses preventing their passage. Our commitment to bring clean water for refugees means we will do everything within our means. Certainly not easy. Unlike many places in Africa, there are no roads here and everything is transported by small boats and even canoes.
I am pleased to report that in the last two weeks the Alaska drilling team has completed two water wells for the village of Petit. Your gifts in support of this project have brought lifesaving clean water to one of the most remote villages in the swamps of South Sudan.
Our commitment to this project really begins with you. Because we have a strong support network, we can meet with the beneficiaries and know that if there’s a way to bring clean drinking water we will. Thank you for this gift. “Thank you” from the village of Petit.
Links:
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.
Start a Fundraiser
