Guest Post | True Africa Volunteer Saves Lives in Uganda With Water Filters

Water For Life volunteer, Judy Brown, shares her water experiences from Uganda.  We are so grateful for Judy’s dedication, and unselfish desire to help the children of the world live healthy lives with clean, safe drinking water.

“About 6 years ago, I read a series of articles titled “Letters From Uganda”. The articles contained actual notes from children who had received funding through TrueAfrica. I was struck by the their sweet gratitude and desire to learn. I’d always wanted to get involved in helping children anywhere in the world, and saw this as my call to action. I emailed the author, Barbara Luke, asking for more information and signed up to educate eight children.

I soon received letters from these children thanking me for the opportunity to go to school. Two years later, I was able to travel to Uganda with Barbara Luke from Child2youth and True Africa.   We met Steven, the man who helped run these charities in Uganda. Nothing could have prepared me for the shocking living conditions.

These wonderful, precious children lived in houses made of home-made, dirt bricks. The windowless buildings were dark and cramped, with no doors, electricity, or running water. The filthy water that was hauled from the nearest river was often contaminated with human and animal waste. There were no toilet facilities in the schools or homes. Some schools were even taught under large trees.

When we came home, we wanted to help people of Uganda to live healthier lives. We connected with Water For Life so we could help provide safe drinking water. When we returned to the same village two and a half years later, we took over fifty filters with us.  We asked the villagers to bring a dirty bucket of pungent water. The water was so muddy and red, I wondered If our test would fail!  But the filter came through with safe water. Barbara and I took a cup and drank the surprisingly clean and tasteless water.

The villagers’ eyes were as big as a full moons as they watched the clean water pour out the bucket.  They had never seen clear water!  We left filters with our children and their schools.  When I went back just a few months ago, I was thrilled to see the villagers using the filters.  Even in the clinic that I help support, there is clean water for the sick people to drink.

What a wonderful experience this has been. When I came home the first time, I picked up seven more children to help.  Love, love, love, this opportunity to serve! Thanks to my son James Brown for his expert advice and willingness to provide an education for these children in need.  Now I have three sponsored siblings in college: Angela, Sophia and Sam. Besides a younger brother, this threesome has no other living family members.  A grandmother from another family provides for them physically as I continue to provide them with a quality education. When Sam graduates from college, he wants to help people in the same ways TrueAfrica and Water For Life has helped him.

My bucket runneth over!!!