Let's make a dream come true - Water Is Life - DR Congo

When I chose the slogan 'Water is Life' I did not realize that this was also the title of a video about the water situation in DR Congo. Although it was not made in Kalima, it shows the same kind of problems.

              

If you are a new reader you might care to read my two previous blogs about this topic. Water is hope and Dirty water is death, clean water is life.

Assuming that, as Peasant Solidarity had managed to solve the local hospital's water problems with the 3000 euros they received last year, 4000 euros from us would enable them to do even more. Some days ago I asked Etienne how 4000 euros would improve the water situation in Kalima.

Etienne Katchelewa's reply:

''What could we do with 4000 euros? Last year's donation of 3000 euros was enough to solve the hospital's problem, because there was an existing well. We bought a new pump and replaced the worn-out water pipes. The hospital's immediate neighbors benefited too, but if we tried to extend the network by merely adding new pipes, the hospital's well would be insufficient to satisfy the needs of the new consumers. So it would be a waste of your money to even try.

To tell you the truth, we need at least 240000 euros for a viable water project. However 4000 euros would benefit our fish-farming or our rice and maize projects. Thank you for trying, but we pray for a benefactor capable of giving us the 240000 euros.''

Not always, but often people start praying for a solution only when they have exhausted all other possibilities. I have not reached that point yet. Peasant Solidarity needs either the support of 24000 people willing and able to donate 10 euros or financial support from an established charity or socially conscious firm.

Clean water means a great deal  for their progress and well-being. My goal is to help raise money for Peasant Solidarity's water-project; but, if we cannot raise enough to do the job properly, then certainly it would  boost Peasant Solidarity's secondary projects: fish-farming and agriculture.

Peasant Solidarity's Committee. Etienne Katchelewa is sitting on the far right.

How is the campaign going?

30 euros so far. We need 497 donations of 10 euros and there are 138 days to go before the dead-line 1^st September.

One of my friends mailed me yesterday afternoon to say that she had not been able to make contribution,because of a technical fault on the Caremaker site. I immediately got in touch with the webmaster, who promised to look into the problem.
They have just got back to me, here is the explanation.
'' It happens when people use an old version of Internet Explorer. So either update it or use Firefox, Chrome or Safari'.

All contributions gratefully accepted. Please let other people know about this campaign, Let's make a dream come true!