Six hundred-fifty Water Pasteurization Indicators have been distributed in the low-income areas of Kigali, Rwanda. The government of Rwanda is aggressively working to improve conditions for the poor who live in the lower valleys that wind through the city. However, there is a long way to go before clean water is accessible to everyone. Many still draw water from ditches and low-lying pools fed by contaminated runoff. Sadly, water-borne diseases such as cholera, dysentery and typhoid contribute to numerous deaths every year. The WAPI is currently the only affordable alternative to chemical purification or purification by boiling.
"Young Couple Draw Water From Contaminated Ditch in Kigali"One hundred fifty WAPI's were sent to a rural village one hour northeast of Kisumu, Kenya. While in Rwanda we received an urgent call from Lillian Abuto, the wife of my aid, Maurice Amadi Abuto. Lillian was in the hospital in Kisumu with a serious case of cholera. The village where Lillian’s family works a small shamba (farm) is in a remote area that is very dry with few wells. The family was forced to draw water from the only source they could locate...a stagnant pool of runoff left over from the rainy season. It is the place where livestock gather from miles around to water, and naturally, they defecate in the water.
An outbreak of cholera soon swept through the local villages because of the contaminated water. The villagers understood that the water needed to be boiled before it was consumed. According to my aid, Maurice, the villagers don’t always know when the water has reached a high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria.
"Elephant and Cattle Pollute the Only Water Source Within 20 Miles"In this case, people who are as close to me as my own family have suffered tremendously. The simple resolution to their suffering is a WAPI.
Thanks to the Rotary Club of Buford/North Gwinnett, and the area Interact Clubs, for making this resource available to people in desperate need of help.
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