Clean Water for Needy Schoolchildren and Leprosy Patients in Chhattisgarh

The Women’s Fellowship state team of Chhattisgarh arranged special programs in schools and leprosy colonies for World Water Day. The programs took place on 28th March, 2012 under the leadership of Sister Tilotma (Women’s Fellowship leader, Bilaspur).

The team went to two schools in the Sirggittie area of Bilaspur district. The first school they visited was Vivekananda English Public School, where around 150 children are studying. Parents also attended the World Water Day program.

Sister Tilotma taught about how to use water wisely. Through various small tips, children learned not to waste water but to save it. The parents and school staff acknowledged that they had been wasting a lot of water in the past days. They made a decision to use water wisely for their well-being and for the generation to come.

On this occasion, the team introduced Believers Church’s safe drinking water project with the help of the BioSand water filter project team. The school received a BioSand water filter at no charge. Manager of the school, Mr. V. Patel, expressed special thanks for the World Water Day program. The staff said, “Thank you for choosing our school to get a BioSand Water Filter; it’s a very amazing thing for us.” They are glad that the children will now get safe drinking water.

The next school the team visited was Navin Primary School. Around 150 poor children are studying here. They were using hand pumps for drinking water. This water was not clean or safe. The teachers carried drinking water to the school from their homes, but the children had no choice but to drink the hand pump water. Because the young children were drinking unclean water, sometimes they would fall sick. Even when the team was there for the World Water Day program, a child was suffering from a stomachache due to bad water.

The Women’s Fellowship team installed a BioSand Water filter there with the help of the BioSand water filter team. The head teacher, Mrs. Sharma, said, “Installation of a BioSand Water Filter is a great blessing for the school.” One of the parents said, “This is the first time we have seen clean water and we can get it through the BioSand water filter. It is very new for us.”

The team also visited two leprosy colonies where Believers Church Sisters of Compassion are working. Each colony received a BioSand water filter free of cost, providing the needy leprosy patients with the basic necessity of pure water.