Six months ago, I was in the middle of a month-long trip in India, the longest I’ve ever done, and after opening the last project of the day while in the mountains of Maharashtra, a petition was handed to me which was a request from 19 villages for their own protected water source. I knew this would be an enormous undertaking financially as this area is difficult to reach and the costs associated high, yet I also knew that miracles still happen, and a way could be made. Before flying to my next destination, I asked my partner to visit each of the 19 villages and determine if they all were viable for drilling.
The survey work is complete, and 14 villages have been identified as viable provided the driller can reach them. During this waiting period I have been speaking with many of you about this need and thankfully all 14 projects have been funded!
Drilling will start in the Fall and my goal is to travel in November or December to open these projects and see firsthand the difference being made with clean water.
While fundraising for the above-mentioned projects, another partner emailed me his project list for 2023 which are for 11 hand pump projects spanning 3 states, 2 of which would be brand new to us. Despite the timing not being great in my mind, the reality remains that these villages are in desperate need for clean, safe water, and as such I need to work on raising more funds.
The goal for these 11 hand pumps is to raise $33,000 and as of today, only $12,000 remains. If you have a desire to make a real difference in the world, then why not provide clean water and make an immediate impact in rural India?
On a personal note, yes, it is easy for me to get overwhelmed by all the requests and to wonder how I’ll raise the funds, so I remind myself of my role; just be a vessel. 