The village of Laawa in Benin wasn’t always the vibrant and stable community that it is today. Before Global Aid Network (GAiN) arrived in 2022 with a water well, villagers suffered from a variety of hardships caused by a lack of safe water and educational opportunities.
A man from the village shared that the community was always riddled with “many infectious diseases, especially among our children and women – diseases such as diarrhea, vomiting, stomach aches and sore throats.” Additionally, women were forced to spend most of their time on an arduous journey to collect unsafe water, while children were set on a track to grow up without education or hope for a better future.
Once GAiN provided the community with a new water source, change slowly began to ripple into Laawa village. As people began to drink clean water and put into practice what they learned from Hygiene and Sanitation Training, sickness gradually disappeared from the community.
A member of our GAiN team shared that “during this second Hygiene and Sanitation Training, the population came out massively because they were very happy with the past training.” The community’s eager engagement revealed a desire to grow stronger and healthier together.
Relationships between men and women also began to heal and shift in a positive way.
One woman praised GAiN’s Household Harmony workshop and how it empowered participants to have empathy towards the opposite gender. She shared: “This training is good training because it talks to us about how we must live together from now on. Before, women did not participate in decision-making during our meetings but from now on it will involve us in decision-making.”
Perhaps one of the greatest ripple effects of the water well is that it has made room for children to receive education. With easy, direct access to safe water, kids no longer have to spend hours each day gathering water and can attend school instead.
During a recent visit to Laawa village, GAiN was overjoyed to see how the gift of water has freed up children to engage in their studies. The community even took the initiative of starting their own school after GAiN encouraged them that education can help eradicate poverty, bolster economic development and empower the next generation.
Bio Djobo, the headmaster and teacher of the village school, explained that there are 61 students currently attending the village school.
“I [teach] them how to read and [am] currently teaching them syllables and vowels,” he shared.
Access to clean water has not only created opportunities for the village to receive education, but to hear the gospel as well. During the showing of the JESUS Film, 713 people attended and 63 gave their lives to Jesus. One villager named Sofou Lokotoro shared, “Through this film I can say that Jesus is the real love of God manifested. I accept it.”
Of the 63 new believers, 41 decided to receive follow-up training and discipleship in their faith. A woman named Kouvi Djodi said,“I undoubtedly understand that without Jesus no one can go to God.” We are overjoyed at the openness of this community to receive the love of Jesus and step into a new way of life.
The powerful gift of clean water has produced an abundant ripple effect of change in Laawa village. Not only has it allowed GAiN to partner with the community of Laawa in improving physical and relational health and encouraging education in the community, but it has served as a doorway to share the love of Christ with them.
Can you imagine if every village had this same experience?
Colossians 3:17 says “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” In all that we accomplish through our Water for Life Initiative, we seek to honour the Lord and make His love known to all people. At GAiN, our mission is to reveal hope by sharing God’s unconditional love, and restore life by demonstrating the gospel through compassionate action to those who are living in poverty, injustice and crisis around the world.
Our dream is that every individual, family and community would be introduced to this way of life – a life that is marked by physical, emotional and spiritual flourishing. Yes, we acknowledge this is a big dream! That’s why we want to invite you to come alongside us and help make it a reality.
Our goal is to raise $260,000 to provide 20 communities (around 20,000 villagers) with clean water and the Living Water.
A generous donor reached out to us with a matching opportunity. If you choose to provide a village with access to clean water and the Living Water today, your gift will be DOUBLED—dollar for dollar—up to $50,000!
Will you join us in our mission to create powerful waves of change in communities that lack access to safe water, education and the opportunity to hear about Christ’s love? We know that even the tiniest splash can produce a ripple effect of transformation in the lives of others.
We hope you will say yes. Thank you for your partnership!
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