Healing Waters International Inc

Rosalbali Project Profile In the small neighboring communities of Rosarito, Albores, and Alianza in Chiapas, Mexico, Healing Waters is implementing cutting-edge technologies and collaborating with the local government to create an advanced water system that will significantly impact the communities by bringing water directly to household taps. Healing Waters calls this collection of communities involved in the project, “Rosalbali”. Trapped in Poverty In Rosalbali, people were losing hope that they would ever have consistent access to clean water. Governments came in and promised change, but they ultimately failed. Families in Chiapas, Mexico’s poorest state live in extreme poverty, with day laborers earning only about $12 per day. The lack of access to consistent, clean water means that they remain in this state of abject poverty and regularly experience suffering brought on by drinking contaminated water. Direct access to clean water in homes will alleviate the suffering caused by poverty, as residents will no longer need to haul water from the river and spend time boiling water. Household access to purified water will also reduce chronic illnesses, which lead to missed work and school. Environmental and Health Impacts The area of Rosalbali used to have a mining industry that dumped a lot of minerals and metals into the river. This made the water even more contaminated and unsafe to drink. These days, the people in the area are divided between households that choose to spend a significant portion of their limited income on treated water in jugs, and those households that drink water directly from their tap, which comes from a contaminated stream (and which they have to supplement with water from the river in the dry season). The majority of those who drink from the tap spend time gathering firewood and then treating the water by boiling it. This process is harmful to the environment and requires a lot of labor. It also causes deforestation and air pollution because of the need for firewood. The rest of the community (about 16%) drinks untreated water, leading to health problems. This is especially bad for children, who get sick from drinking contaminated water, and repeated bouts of illness in young children can have lasting impacts on physical and cognitive development. Even though people know the water is unsafe, they still use it because they have no other choice. Additionally, apart from drinking water, families don’t have enough water to do household chores like washing clothes and cleaning their homes, and often have to do their washing in the river or haul river water home. Unprecedented Local Support Healing Waters International has operated in some capacity in this region since 2004 and built trust with the municipal government of Escuintla. This has led the council to become an investment partner, providing approximately 60% of the funding needed for the project. As local elections are approaching and government funding depends on the project’s completion, Healing Waters must close the narrow funding gap to ensure the project can be fully implemented without disruptions. Previous government officials have refused to help the local community establish clean water solutions, so Healing Waters will take advantage of the positive government relationships with the current officials. For years I requested help from the local government to implement a water project. Our previous mayor promised to help us but unfortunately, he passed away before he could make it a reality. After that, I thought we would never have clean water. With Healing Waters here, I now have hope. - Alfonzo, Alianza The Project After conducting a comprehensive on-the-ground assessment of the local geography, water sources, infrastructure, and social context, the Healing Waters team in Chiapas has developed a customized and sustainable Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) solution for Rosalbali. Working closely with local leaders, the Healing Waters team has designed a model to purify the community’s water. To demonstrate their commitment to the project, many townspeople have volunteered their time to reduce costs and ensure the success of the project. The model will deliver purified water directly to household taps in each home through a gravity conduction line. The water will be sourced from the main river that passes through all three communities and will be purified using nanofiltration run on solar power. This means that people will have enough water all year long in their homes and no longer need to travel to the river to get water for drinking or washing and won’t have to buy expensive water in jugs. The treated water will be stored in a cistern and flow by gravity to distribution lines to the homes in each of the three communities. This project will significantly improve the water delivery system of these communities by providing consistent access to clean water piped directly to 277 households, serving 1,700 people through household taps. It will eliminate the need for each household to collect and purify water, thereby transforming the region’s health, well-being, and economic capacity. "I had to carry water from the river for bathing, washing clothes, and everything else my family needed. I never imagined that a project like this would come and solve the water problem in my community. This is a great gift at my age to see this come true". - Eldermira, Rosarito

The Hope of Safe Water According to The Book of Proverbs, “hope deferred makes the heart sick…”. When you are hoping for clean water, hope deferred makes your body sick also. But, when you are desperate, what choice do you have but to hope? The people of Rosalbali have watched as several organizations and government figures have come, promising to bring safe water. All would ultimately fail, and the unused water equipment lying along the roadsides served as a reminder of the empty promises and unfulfilled hope. Mothers with large families, who gave birth at young ages, continued to make their way down to the riverside to collect the unpurified water needed for daily life with their children in tow. Grandmothers and grandfathers, the matriarchs and patriarchs, watched generation after generation continue in a cycle of abject poverty exacerbated by lack of access to this vital resource. Life was hard. But the people of Rosalbali remained resilient. They found ways to overcome their circumstances but not without adversity. Collecting water from the river and the firewood to purify it has taken a toll on their bodies. Using what little money they have to purchase purified water has taken a toll on their livelihoods. But their resilience kept hope alive that one day things would change. Hope is tricky because you have to imagine that something is possible, often when you have never seen or experienced it. It requires faith. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen”. - Hebrews 11: For decades, the people of Rosalbali have kept the faith and remained hopeful that life will be different, their burdens will be lifted, their families will be better off, and their community will thrive. Imagine the rejoicing when you finally realize your hope is coming true. The end of the Proverb says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” Sometimes people go an entire lifetime without experiencing this. But when you do, it changes everything. For the people of Rosalbali, the promise of safe water is a longing finally being fulfilled. Water will soon travel directly to household taps, alleviating their need to collect water from the river or use most of their family budget to purchase clean water. Where hope deferred once made the heart sick, a tree of life stands in its place. Healing Waters is in the business of bringing clean water to lead to greater levels of physical and spiritual thriving. Let us not give up hope.

Safe Water Leads to Physical and Spiritual Thriving The love of Christ, combined with scripture, has a transformative effect. It reveals to people who they really are – image bearers of God. The staff at Healing Waters strives to embody God’s love in all that we do. When our teams enter a community, they let people know that they are there to provide safe water in the name of Jesus. Their kindness demonstrates God’s love to people trapped in poverty. To reinforce this, our Health and Hygiene program uses truth found in scripture to show the worth and dignity of each individual. These activities, informed by scripture but inspired by the life of Christ, demonstrate tangible and powerful love for vulnerable people who have often been discarded and neglected. The result is truly transformative! “Christ has no body but yours, no hands no feet on earth but yours, yours are the eyes which he looks compassion on this world. yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands with which he blesses the world.” - Theresa of Avila The Promotora Model Heath promoters, also known as “promotoras,” are trained by Healing Waters’ staff work within their own communities to educate women and children about safe health and hygiene practices using Healing Waters’ biblically based curriculum. Health and hygiene education is important because it teaches practices such as proper handwashing, cleaning, and food safety when using new safe water sources. Everything changes when a community has access to safe water. Women no longer need to walk long distances to collect and purify water. However, years of established behaviors need to be adjusted to fit the new situation. Promotoras are highly effective in promoting behavior change because they belong to the same community, speak the same language, and are keenly aware of the prevalent old water practices. Their goal is to reach as many people as possible in the community to ensure widespread behavior change, with communities reinforcing these new practices. Nicolasa’s Story as a Promotora After becoming a Promotora, Nicolosa was very inspired. She worked with Healing Waters’ staff and other Promotoras to teach the class beyond her region, in local schools and to other women. Impressed by her passion, the local government decided to fund her team to teach the class in twelve new schools during the daytime, and to teach their parents in the afternoon. Her drive to see lives transformed encouraged widespread behavior change. She motivated families to adopt health and hygiene behaviors that would ultimately keep them and their families safer. “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” - 1 Peter 4:10 Emotional, Mental, and Spiritual Thriving The Health and Hygiene class goes beyond physical health to address the impact of poverty on self-esteem. Women in poverty can struggle with feelings of despondency and powerlessness, often bearing the burden of collecting and purifying water. The perpetual diseases caused by unclean water have far-reaching effects on health and well-being. Even when safe water is available, women may still face mental and emotional challenges. The Healing Waters Health and Hygiene classes not only teach safe water practices but also use scriptures to combat commonly held beliefs arising from poverty. The curriculum is designed to help women understand their dignity and value, while showing children that they are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” Nicolasa, who taught the classes, witnessed the transformative power of these truths on women. She said, “Women are deeply impacted. They know that God loves them and is with them. They become strong, empowered, and compelled to lead in their communities.” This program is truly remarkable and transformative! The Healing Waters’ Health and Hygiene program brings health and hope to people suffering from poverty. Donate today to reach more people just like Nicolasa who have the power to change entire communities.

Women Leading Change in La Unidad The provision of reliable and safe water is incredibly empowering for women, who often shoulder the responsibility of providing safe water for their households in many developing countries with limited access to clean water. In the town of La Unidad, Mexico, a group of women has come together to form a committee that plays a crucial role in addressing the water needs of their community. This is especially significant in a society where community leadership is often patriarchal. The committee comprised entirely of women, has taken on the responsibility of spearheading a water project for the community, with a strong focus on improving access to clean water. Araceli, the president of the committee, made a deliberate choice to select only women, as she believed that it was essential to demonstrate that women are capable of leading significant initiatives, especially ones thought of as technical. Despite facing skepticism from men in the community, Araceli was determined to show that women can make a substantial impact in addressing their community’s water needs. Healing Waters is actively working to empower women to bring about positive change in their communities. According to Kathya, Health and Hygiene Trainer at Healing Waters Mexico, women are increasingly recognizing their value and capabilities, and are eager to contribute meaningfully to their communities. Leading initiatives such as the water committee allow women to break free from traditional gender roles and feel a sense of purpose beyond their domestic responsibilities. "The Committee is united to help. They work together and are very committed. They are helping the community participate more in the safe water project." - Kathya, Healing Waters Healh and Hygiene Trainer- Mexico Given women’s typical responsibilities in caring for the home and family in places like La Unidad, they must be at the forefront of decision-making for water-related projects. Healing Waters is currently implementing a project aimed at delivering purified water directly to people’s homes in La Unidad, thereby eliminating the need for community members to rely on untreated piped water or buy expensive treated water in jugs. The community currently grapples with water-related illnesses, particularly affecting children and the poorest in the community. By ensuring consistent, affordable access to clean water, we have the opportunity to empower women and transform communities. Your contribution can make a tangible difference in the lives of these women and their communities. Donate now to support this vital cause.