“Clean water is one of the most transformative things in the world aside from the gospel” notes David Palmer, a mechanical engineer at SonSet Solutions who has traveled to Kenya, Malawi and Tanzania to assist with water projects.

Indeed, clean water quickly results in the improved health of both people and livestock through the elimination of water-borne illnesses such as cholera, typhoid, and dysentery; as well as better hygiene and hydration. Saved time is another immediate benefit — a reliable source of water saves a great deal of walking and avoids dangerous conditions collecting it (e.g. crocodiles in rivers).

Clean water has a ‘trickle’ effect of benefits, such as the following

• Healthy children can go to school; as a result, education is strengthened. Consistent and completed education breaks the primary poverty cycle in a village. With less time spent collecting water, women and children (the primary family members burdened with this task) are able to go to church strengthening the entire family spiritually.
• Livestock are healthy and can produce offspring contributing to better health for those who rely on this food source. More livestock can be farmed, and excess sold for income. Similarly, gardens can be planted, resulting in more food and a healthier diet.
• Proper brick-making techniques improve the quality of houses, and both brick-making and gardening provide income through entrepreneurship by the selling of bricks and freshly-grown produce.

The long-term impact that clean water provides — even in areas not typically open to the gospel — is people more willing to listen. This helps build relationships, and often results in direct sharing of the gospel message. Click the following link to read the story of Vickness and how clean water transformed her village in Malawi: https://sonsetsolutions.org/five-years-later/.