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A willing spirit and
fresh water transform African village
We take it for granted that with the turn of a handle, fresh, clean, safe drinking water will come out of the faucet. For thousands of people living in Sudan, the largest country in Africa, safe drinking water is non-existent. Thirty-year old Sudanese native, Salva Dut, through his not-for-profit organization called Water for Sudan, is working to change that by drilling wells in the villages of Sudan that will provide safe drinking water to its people. Dut is one thousands of young men called the Lost Boys or Walking Boys of Sudan who fled on foot their war torn villages. At only 11 years old, Dut and the others walked 1,800 miles, threatened by disease, hunger, thirst, wild animals and enemy soldiers to safety in refugee camps in Kenya and Ethiopia. Dut and 3,000 other Lost Boys safely arrived in the United States in 1996. He made his home in the Rochester area and is one semester away from earning his Bachelor’s Degree from SUNY Brockport. Five years ago Dut and other of the Lost Boys brought their amazing story of courage and faith to church congregations in the area, including First Presbyterian Church of Caledonia, where he met Pastor Nancy Reinert, who’s served on the board for WFS ever since. After several years of working to help raise awareness about the need to drill wells for clean water in Sudan and numerous volunteer activities to raise the much needed funding, Reinert says despite all of her efforts, she felt distant to the very real issue facing the people of this Central African nation. In continual contact with Dut, who spends half of the year in Sudan drilling wells, Reinert decided to join an American group from Rochester headed to Sudan to meet WFS on the next drill. The First Presbyterian Church congregation offered to fund the cost of the new well being drilled in Abilnyang, Sudan. It costs between $8 and $10 thousand to drill each well and get it operational. "Once the people of the church made a connection with Salva, and the inspiration that he brings, they wanted to invest in what he is doing," Reinert commented. "We are inspired by what one person can do." WFS chose POV-Rose Films to produce a documentary that would take the viewer inside the harsh, real-life conditions of Africa and also demonstrate how safe drinking water can transform a village. Caledonia resident, photographer and film producer Jeffrey Mead co-owns POV-Rose Films and directed the project called, "Just Add Water." Reinert and Mead were part of a group from Rochester that traveled to Sudan to join efforts with Dut and the WFS drilling crew, including Dinka villagers, assembled in Abilnyang. It took four days to reach their destination and once there, Mead says he threw away all normal operating procedures as he knew them, in favor of the single goal of just keeping the lens of his camera clean. Intense 120 degree heat, dust, hand cleared dirt roads and primitive living conditions that included limited drinking water and even less for washing, this week-long trip was a life-changing experience for Reinert and Mead. The WFS drilling crew included Dut and several villagers. With the location for the well selected, the boring began, 260 feet down until it hit water. When the brown splash shot out of the ground and eventually turned clear, there was a celebration and anticipation of a new life for the Dinka villagers of Abilnyang. With safe drinking water, villages can make bricks to build schools, medical clinics and market places where the people can buy and sell goods. The group stretched out a banner that read, "In honor of First Presbyterian Church, Caledonia, 2008." With the well drilling project a success, the group said goodbye to the villagers and began their six-hour trip down the dirt road to meet their charter flight. Within an hour their Land Rover suffered a flat tire. The spare was also flat. One of the drivers began the 11 to 15 mile trip on foot back to the last village for help. They spent several hours in the remote bush waiting for the driver to return. Eventually a passerby brought them a chicken, which they did cook and enjoyed under a starlit African sky. After 12 hours, the flat tire was fixed and the group made it’s way safely to the dirt airstrip and their flight to Kampala, the capital of Uganda. They had much to consider about their six days in the African bush with no electricity, running water, lavatory facilities, phones, email or much else from the modern world as we know it. What was certain is that their inconveniences were slight in comparison to those living in Sudan. However, with safe drinking water now available, everyday life was about to improve for the village of Abilnyang. "Just Add Water" will publicly premiere in high definition at the Dreyden Theater in Rochester, September 22 at 7 pm. Salva Dut will also be in attendance. The Inspiration for Water for Sudan Salva Dut returned to the Sudan in 2002 to find his father, whom he had not seen in over 16 years, very ill and near death from a water borne parasite. After his father’s recovery, Dut formed Water for Sudan, and began his quest to help the people of Sudan by drilling wells that will provide safe, clean drinking water. He is very thankful to the American people for what they have contributed to his life and challenges each of us to engage in work that makes a difference in the life of the world. If you would like to learn more about Water for Sudan and how you can become involved in its work, log on to www.waterforsudan.org
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