How do we know that people appreciate a well when we give them one?
They give a gift! We all like gifts. Birthday, Christmas, Mother’s Day, gifts to say “Thank you”. We all appreciate them so much. But when you live in Burkina Faso and have so little, it is difficult to know what you can give to say “Thank you”. So what do people do to show us that they really do appreciate a well, when we have given it to them?
This is about the village of Bassanwara. There are about 2250 people living there. But they are spread out over a large area. Because of the distance to the existing well (3km), many were still using the river water. They come from a mixture of ethnic backgrounds and there were also disputes about who should be allowed to use the water at the pump.
Myra’s Wells provided a new well.
That was last April. It is number 84 on our list of wells (click here for the full list). For most of the wells, there is “Well blessing” ceremony held when it is finished. It is a chance to gather a good number of the villagers together and to talk to them about how to look after the well. They can also be reminded of the importance of personal cleanliness. And, there is the opportunity to talk to them about the love of God and how God showed this when Jesus died on the cross.
Sometimes, the “Well blessing” cannot be arranged immediately. The rainy season makes it difficult to travel. And this year, we have drilled so many wells, that it has been difficult for the people in Burkina Faso to keep up. So the “Well blessing” took place on 16th January 2018.
A number of people piled into the minibus in Ouagadougou. It took a long time to get to the village. After leaving the main road, a moped showed the way through the bushes and trees. At some points, the minibus could not physically fit between the trees and it had to take a detour.
The “Well blessing” took place
But when they arrived at the village, there was a good crowd waiting. As always, the people sang and danced. Then the pastor gave a message about God’s love and mercy. He spoke about the fact that Jesus came to be our Saviour and about 25 people wanted to know more about this.
Then people showed that they appreciate a well!
The people here are poor. So how do they show that they really appreciate a well? They give what they can. In this case it was a sheep and 5 chickens. This is a good present. Livestock is their livelihood. The animals travelled back in the minibus. It would not be allowed in UK! It would be considered a risk to safety.
Did the sheep and chickens know what awaited them back in Ouagadougou? No doubt they would perhaps prefer that the people could find another way to show that they appreciate a well!
Here is a link to a previous story about Bassanwara which you might like to read as well.
How can we show our appreciation of the money we are given to provide the wells?
We thank God for each gift. And we show our appreciation by passing it all on, every penny, to drill wells. The trustees fund all other expenses personally. After all, if you have been kind enough to give money, we want you to know that it is being used the way you wanted it to be used. To help us provide more wells, you can see our How to Donate page by clicking here.