The village of Kouorou, Benin suffered from a lack of water, depending on their only water source – the swamp. The contaminated water from the swamp caused frequent sickness, meaning villagers would spend a lot of time and money in hospitals.
“We would share the same water as the animals,” Marie, a village resident of 10 years, explained. “Cows would walk to the swamp and walk in the water, which was painful to know that I am drinking the same water as them. We just didn’t have any other choice. We felt sad for ourselves because it was giving us sickness.”
Marie still remembers the day GAiN brought a deep-capped well to Kouorou. The people of Kourou rejoiced – celebrating because they knew it would be the end of suffering. “I’m so happy to have this water well in my village,” she said with gratitude.
“There is a big difference between the two sources of water,” Marie declared. “The old one was like mud water and here, this is pure clean water.”
The first change the well has brought is health to the village. Frequent sickness that occurred has slowed down, meaning villagers like Marie get to experience true wellness.
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