With over a dozen completed projects in the Dominican Republic, our strategic partnership with Food for the Hungry is an essential part to bringing clean water to the Dominican people in the name of Jesus.
Food for the Hungry upholds a holistic approach that is very similar to the one that is part of the core of Healing Waters. When they reach out to a community, they do everything in their capacity to ensure that their efforts are sustainable. Whether it be working through education, agriculture, or healthcare, they make sure that the project they implement is supported and run by the community. This is one of the many reasons that our partnership with them has flourished.
Since they have been around for a number of years, Food for the Hungry has formed strong roots in many communities throughout the Dominican Republic. They have built up their reputation so that people trust and believe in the work that they do. This connection helps Healing Waters bridge new relationships with communities that are in need of access to clean water.
Throughout my time the DR, I have been fortunate enough to spend time at multiple Healing Waters and Food for the Hungry project sites—the most recent being the inauguration of the Loma Hermosa water project. The Loma Hermosa clean water project is now serving 30 families who previously had zero access to clean drinking water.
Whenever a project is ready to operate, the local community hosts an inauguration. Loma Bonita was my first project inauguration and it opened my eyes further to how much each community truly appreciates the gift of clean water. People sang, told their stories, and children acted out skits. It was a celebration of the change that was taking place thanks to the grace of God. They were celebrating the first step towards a stronger and healthier way of life for generations to come.
Once the ceremony was over, each family lined up and received a brand-new water jug, all of which were donated by Food for the Hungry. Once they received their gift, they could go to the water system to fill their jugs, and take clean water home to their families for the very first time.
Watching families take home clean water is witnessing the Global Water Crisis end in real time, and I’m so thankful to experience it.