Current Be A HERO Project: Drilling wells in the desert Turkana region of Kenya with our partner organization, Nehemiah Construction Ministries.

Turkana Region, Kenya Situation:

Approximately 300,000 people live in the harsh, semi-desert region of the Turkana.  There is virtually no water there. With temperatures that reach up to 50 degrees Celsius, and winds up to 80 km/hr families travel for hours in search of food and water, living a nomadic lifestyle.  The area has suffered severe drought since 1992.  The United Nations feeds about 90,000 living in refugee camps at Kakuma.  The rest of the population struggles to survive on their own, eating seeds, berries and corn flour bread. Illiteracy has been estimated at 99%. Life expectancy is less than 40 years.

A mother so desperate for water that she is scooping up this effluent from a nearby compound

Current Project

The Nehemiah Construction Ministries well-drilling team have the capacity to drill one well per month, at a cost of $15,000 USD.  Each well will provide water for 1000 people. NCM is exploring ways to provide solar pumps for the wells, which would allow for irrigation. The Kenyan government has donated 10 acres of land.  Plans for this land include a training school (providing both vocational and bible training) which will house the sewing program already under way and other courses. $60,000 has been raised for the training centre thus far. Future plans also include a mechanic shop, a conference centre, a church, a guest house and a medical clinic.

Immediate Needs:

Besides caring for the orphans, BVK also trains workers to care for the elderly, provide medical aid, educate on health issues, and various other community social work. They provide relief and aid to earthquake, flood, and drought victims.

Driven by compassion for the poor, Emmanuel and Beulah Raj have founded, and now oversee 6 schools (kindergarten to grade 12), 5 children’s homes, 5 day care centres, and 11 churches. Reaching thousands of people, they employ 141 people including teachers, nurses, cooks, office workers, social workers, pastors, accountants, groundskeepers etc.

Our Be A HERO Director for India, Steve Clarke, and his family, has been involved in a number of building projects and humanitarian aid programs over the past 25 years. In 1979, while a university student, Steve spent a summer working with the Raj’ in India. He was profoundly impacted by their ministry and commitment to the poorest of the poor.  Eventually, Steve took his family to live in Dehradun, volunteering for 14 months at one of Bal Vikas Kendra’s children’s homes. He now travels to India on a regular basis to meet with the directors, review the progress, the finances, staffing, and discuss potential projects.  During his trip in March 2005, Steve and the staff of BVK finalized the plans for the proposed multi-use building, a Community Centre/Convention Facility, School, and medical clinic in Telpura.

Impact

The impact of having access to a safe, clean, reliable water source cannot be overstated.  When families no longer have to continually move around in search of water, they can enlarge their herds; plant and irrigate crops; send their children to school; and build themselves adequate, more protective shelter.  Death and disease from contaminated water will decline (we like to call this “orphan prevention”). Widows can become trained into self-sustainability. Accessible water is the first step towards breaking the generational cycle of poverty.

100% of all funds donated for this project will be applied directly to the project. Be A HERO does not keep anything for administration. Be A HERO is able to do this because we have donors who designate their gifts specifically for administration. Click here to donate.

You will be sent a receipt for income tax purposes early in the following year.
To view more photos of the Turkana Well-drilling Project click here.