ReliefWeb

Sonia used to wake up in the early morning hours and walk a mile to reach the closest water source. Her family lives in Oenoni, an isolated community in Indonesia. Though her island is surrounded by seawater, it was a daily struggle to obtain fresh drinking water.

After filling her jugs with water, Sonia carried them back home. This daily trek was a burden for Sonia, as it is for millions of women around the world. Women around the world spend 200 million hourseach day collecting water---hours that could be used to care for their families or earn an income.

Although the water she worked so hard to collect looked clear, it was often contaminated and made her family sick. Waterborne illnesses are deadliest to children under five years old and put Sonia's baby at risk. Constantly being sick also made it difficult for Sonia to attend to the work that comes with being a new mother.

Thanks to partners like you, Sonia now has a water source just steps from her front door. Our teams installed a safe water solution **in Oenoni that provides reliable access to water for the 1,200 residents. The system pipes water to 300 households, a school, and a medical clinic. **Families are healthier, and women like Sonia have more time in their day to tend to their children and their households.

"Before, it took a lot of struggle to [fetch water]," Sonia said. "Our lives changed after Water Mission came because the water that was so far away is now in front of our house."

Having nearby access to safe water has given Sonia more time to care for her baby, who thankfully no longer suffers from water-related illnesses.

"We are very grateful to God, to Water Mission, and to those who helped bring water closer to our homes," she said. "This is the love of God that we feel."

By coming alongside Water Mission, you can help change even more lives in Southeast Asia and around the world through safe and Living Water.

Please pray for all the mothers who still long for safe water for their children. As you pray for our work around the world, please also consider how you can deepen your partnership with Water Mission and reach more people like Sonia.