Clean water is once again flowing in Upper Boma! Praise the Lord! After two previous attempts to repair the solar-powered well, we were able to replace one solar panel, the converter and the main pump to essentially give us a new well. We are so grateful to Harvest Community Church and several other private donors who helped us complete this important project. God is using their generosity to impact everyone living in Upper Boma.
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The well is powered by three large solar panels and pumps water into a 15,000 liter holding tank.
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Why is this well so important?
To provide you with some context, I want to share three aspects regarding the importance of this solar-powered well.
- The SEA Partners compound is centrally located in Upper Boma. Most of the villagers live within 300 yards of our compound and come daily to the well to collect water for their families. While there is another well within the same distance, the pipes are rusting and the water is not as clean as it should be for consumption. It’s fine for washing, but this solar-powered well is now the only source of clean drinking water in Upper Boma.
- Our school, Faith Learning Centre, is about 100 yards from our compound giving students easy access to clean drinking water. We do have a well closer to the school, but it has been damaged. As with the solar-powered well, our attempts at repairing it have been met with new complications and this well remains inoperable.
- Finally, we hope this solar-powered well speaks to our commitment to improve the lives of the people in Boma using new technology. This may be the only solar-power well in Boma State and certainly the only one within several hundred miles. We hope the Murle in Upper Boma can feel a sense of pride that this well is providing them with fresh, clean water every day. We thank God for His provision.
Over the next six months, we hope to repair the school’s water well and to make some modifications to the solar-powered well. Currently, thanks to several donors, we have the funds to repair the well at the school, but the logistics to get it completed have been a challenge. Hopefully, we will have this well functioning again in the next few months.
In addition, we hope to modify the solar-powered well enabling us to pump clean water to other locations on the Boma mountain. Currently, the solar-powered pump fills a 15,000 liter tank sitting about 3 feet off the ground. In order to pump this water to other locations in the village and to use it to irrigate our farm, we need to raise the tank to about 10 meters. This will require a permanent concrete and steel structure on which the tank can safely sit.
Final Thoughts on Clean Water
Though a significant undertaking, raising the tank would allow us to not only provide flowing, clean water to other taps in Upper Boma, but to develop a complete irrigation system to water newly planted fruit trees and crops during the dry season. To purchase supplies, ship them to Boma and pay for the labor and construction of the raised platform will require us to raise $18,000. If you feel led by God to help with this project, please give a gift online or mail a check to the address below.
God is using you to impact the lives of the people in Boma through your prayers and support. Thank you so much for your kindness.
May God continue to bless the people of South Sudan.
Donnie Brake
President
PS. If God is leading you to provide clean water to the people in Boma, please give a gift online.