Three Wells Bring Clean Drinking Water to Villagers in Cameroon

Joy for a glass of water. Agnes Embolo Muogo celebrates in CameroonSubmitted by Elder Dan and Sister Edith Baker, Senior Proselyting Missionaries in Cameroon

December 11, 2009 was a day of joy and rejoicing in three villages in Cameroon.  The villages of Ngongo, Ekoum-Ondom, and Lebamzip are situated about an hour’s drive north of the capital city of Yaoundé, and the people in these villages have never had clean water to drink.  They have experienced much disease, suffering, and death because of poor water.  Schools and health clinics had no water for the children or the afflicted.

Photos by Sister Edith Baker

After nearly a year of planning, the dream of potable water has come true for these people, thanks to the donations that come from members around the world which go toward LDS humanitarian projects.  Elder Dan and Sister Edith Baker, who are proselyting missionaries in Yaoundé, worked under the direction of the humanitarian missionaries in Kinshasa, DR Congo (Elder Steve and Sister Sheryl Bailey, followed by Elder Lester and Sister Joan Moody) in order to bring this dream to fruition.  They were aided by many members, including Brother Crépin Bala who is a branch president in Yaoundé.  These three bore holes, which are fitted with hand pumps, will serve a total of about 20,000 people.  An added bonus to help with better health was provided by a group of young single adults from the Yaoundé branches who were organized by Jean Mbaga to train the villagers in the basics of sanitation and good hygiene.  Elder Baker said, “The village officials have organized committees to oversee the maintenance and upkeep of these wells, so they should provide water for the children of today’s children.”

On the day when the wells were handed over to the village officials, there were speeches by village chiefs and mayors, singing by members of the three branches in Yaoundé, prayers of thanks to God for this great blessing, and of course there was DANCING!!!  It was reported the next day that the villagers stayed up most of the night dancing and rejoicing.  Sister Baker said, “It was just like Christmas for them—in fact better than most Christmases they have ever had!  And it was like that for us, too!  Sometimes during this long episode of the whole project, we thought that if we had known what it all entailed, we probably would never have done it.  But after today’s joy, we decided it is just like having a baby—you wait and sometimes suffer and think it is never going to really happen, and then bam!  The baby is born, and the joy makes up for all the hard times!  What a great experience that we will always remember!”  Elder Baker said, “Those of us in places where we have clean drinking water need to be grateful for that amazing blessing.  We are grateful to all the generous donors who helped bring this water to thirsty souls.  Especially now that it is the dry season in Cameroon, this water will mean life and health to so many people!”

joy

dsc01440

dsc01463