About Living Water Project
Life without water is unthinkable. To meet this very basic need, there are millions of people who struggle spending hours in a day to get a few pots full of water home. The men have to give up precious time they could have used to earn a better income and support their families. The women have to venture out walking for miles, carrying their little babies and water pots through the long arduous journey. Children have to give up their dreams and hope for an education while they fetch water for their homes.
According to a UN report, 95 million people in India lack access to safe drinking water. Thousands of villages have no water source within two miles. India’s rural poor all too often have to settle for contaminated surface water from open wells, lakes, rivers and ponds, which is the primary cause for diseases like typhoid, bacillary dysentery and diarrhea. These diseases contribute to the high mortality rate, especially among children and the aged. According to UNICEF, Nearly one million children in India die of diarrhea each year directly as a result of drinking unsafe water.
Taking on the challenge of providing safe and potable drinking water, CBN India and OBI started its Living Waters Project in the year 1999. Through this project bore wells are made that provide safe drinking water to the people in need.
The states in India covered so far by this project include Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Orissa, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Kerala. However, this is only a small fraction of the overall need and thousands of villages in India still can only dream of potable safe drinking water.
One village at a time, the "Living Waters Project" CBN India/Operation Blessing India has dug 4358 wells all across India benefiting more than 14,40,140 people.
Susheela – No More Struggles for Water
Susheela lives in Prakasham District of Andhra Pradesh. She and the people of her community have borne a lot of pain and humiliation just to get some water. “Don’t touch it! Go from here!! Go out of our sight and stand there!”...
Sanjay – ‘We didn’t have water to put off the fire’
On hot summer day Sanjay was busy at work when he heard loud screams coming from somewhere around. He rushed out as he could smell something was burning. He saw that the houses around were burning and all the people were running...
Sujatha – ‘I don’t have to be away for 4 hours!’
Sujatha comes from the Banjara tribe which is nomadic in nature. Many people of their tribe came from various parts of the state and settled down in the New Banjara Colony, located in Hayath Nagar in Ranga Reddy District of...
Yellamma – A longing fulfilled
Yellamma remembers the fateful day when she and her three daughters were making their way to the river. ...
Naralaxmi
Naralaxmi was sad about having to vacate the slum where her family had lived for many years. ‘Drinking water’ was such a grave problem that it became the reason for her family to contemplate moving out.
Sabena and Devadhan Sunna
Sabena and Devadhan Sunna are from Gondaguda village, which is located in the remote area of Orissa state. Caste, tribal and religion differences prevail strongly in this village. They are very superstitious too.
Sukaee Bai
Sukaee Bai’s worries reached a peak when her married daughter came to live with her for her second childbirth as was the custom in their village. Sukaee Bai was excited to help her daughter but there was severe water problem in...