ATLANTA — In Ethiopia, the new rush of fresh, drinkable water brings a rush of joy.
“When you strike water and the well starts to work, you should hear the joy,” said David Harding, one of CBF's global missions field personnel who helps bring clean water to the African nation of Ethiopia.
A working well means no more trips to the muddy river to gather water and haul it home. It means less disease. It means more crops and less famine. It means more time with family and more opportunity for education. Water in a dry land means transformation.
Nearly 75 percent of Ethiopians — about 55 million people — don't have access to clean water. But it's a crisis not well known. David calls it a “silent tsunami,” responsible for the death of millions each year around the world. Many Ethiopians drink from rivers in areas known for famine, malnutrition and cholera outbreaks.
“God cares for them and wants them to have decent water to drink, to wash hands and to irrigate gardens,” David said.
David engages with partners and volunteers to use simple techniques to bring clean water to the Rift Valley region. Since July 2006, they have drilled nearly 30 wells that provide hundreds of people with clean water. They also use seeds and sand filter techniques to clean water. The effort is called Living Water Ethiopia, and it engages local churches in vital humanitarian ministry.
“The church is in a position to not just be preaching but have a presence in these areas that touches the felt needs of people in the community,” David said. “We help local churches be more active in meeting human need by introducing relevant social and technical tools that respect individuals and help people to help themselves.”
Water can transform communities and also unite people. During one trip, the Christian and Muslim communities worked together to drill a well. When the drill bit became lodged many feet underground, both faith communities joined hands and prayed for God to intervene.
“It was probably the first time they did anything together,” David said. “Water has that draw. Everybody needs water, and the church was able to use the water to say, ‘We care about you. Access to safe water is a human right for all.' ”
A child of missionaries, David was born in Ethiopia and for his first 10 years had Ethiopians as best friends. Building on these connections, David knows the environment, the culture and local partners upon which the ministry depends.
The Salam Vocational Center provides the tools and techniques for the water ministry. Through this partner, the Hardings help empower local Ethiopians and sustain a long-term commitment to communities. Based in Orlando, Fla., David travels to the country about four times a year, which is enough to encourage the ministry and strength relationships.
“The Ethiopians have to make it work themselves,” David said. “We don't want to create unnecessary dependencies.”
About half the wells in Africa no longer function because they aren't well-maintained, David said. Changing behaviors to accept improvements and teaching people to care for the technology is essential.
“If improving access to safe water for a billion people in the world was simply a technical problem, it would have been solved long ago,” David said. “It's a behavioral problem where people need to see the connections between water and disease and to feel empowered to do something about it.”
It costs Living Water Ethiopia about $2,500 to dig a well that services up to 400 people initially. As more wells are established in a community, wells typically service 50 people including livestock, which provide food or income for a family.
In addition to Ethiopia, Harding serves in other developing countries as the Fellowship's coordinator for international disaster response. Most years, the Hardings travel to a developing country to serve as a family. David's wife, Merrie, a physical therapist, uses her skills through local clinics, and their three children — Dave, Leah and Merrie Grace — help dig wells or assist in orphanages. While in Orlando, the Hardings collect cloth hats and dresses to distribute in Ethiopia and other countries.
“Working out of what Christ has done for us is a statement of care,” David said. “People want to know why, and it's because we are first moved by God's love for us.”
Crucial to the Hardings' ministry is connecting with Fellowship partner churches, “using the skill sets that people have and linking them with the needs of the world,” David said.
And it is through the CBF Offering for Global Missions that this connection can happen.
“Without the offering, these vital connections and the good that comes from them is not going to happen through CBF,” David said.