On 28th October 2018, a drilling team went to a large village called Rouko in Burkina Faso. By the time they left, there was a borehole producing water. Now, the water testing has been completed and the pump has been fitted. There is a new well there giving clean water for everyone.
It wasn’t always the case.
Rouko is a large village and the population has grown over the last few years. There is a pump not far away in the village centre, but one pump is just not enough for the size of the population – not forgetting the livestock and the need of water for crops. So, the people did what they could.
This photo shows an open well which the local pastor dug himself 30 years ago. It is 50 feet deep! It is difficult to imagine having to dig a hole that deep in an effort to find water. It must have been enormously hard work and the end result could only be dirty water at best. The picture shows that the wall is beginning to disintegrate.
Still not enough
The population continued to grow. Over the years, this open well was still not providing enough water for everyone. So, like father like son! The pastor (who is still working in the little church there) had a son who decided that they needed another well. This is the result. It meant digging another deep hole. We don’t know how deep this one is but, judging from the photo we have, it must be about the same as the first one.
Once again, it needed tremendous effort. And once again, it can only be storing dirty water. If you are desperate for water, maybe you don’t care if it is dirty.
Myra’s Wells heard about the need.
In October, we asked a surveyor to go to Rouko and see if we would be able to help them. He marked the two best places with a circle of cement on the ground – see this story. Then Christine made arrangements, and on 28th October, a drilling team visited and we were very happy to hear that they found water. The borehole is 70 metres deep and the “flow rate” is 4500 litres/hour. This is a very good and completely sustainable source of water.
Clean water for everyone
There is now, water for everyone in this part of the village. Not just water for everyone – clean water for everyone. There is also plenty for the livestock and plenty for irrigating crops too. Here is one happy little chap. He will soon be tall enough to operate the pump and he will have so much better chance of growing up healthy.
No wonder we give God praise for His wonderful provision. This is why there will nearly always be a “well blessing” service held when Myra’s Wells completes a new well.
This well is number 116 on our list of wells. There are now 129 wells on the list – click here to see them all.