For a long time, the parents of Holoby village near our Pochaiv site in Ukraine were incredibly worried about the health of their children. Over a span of more than 16 years, their children were born frail and sickly, which only worsened as they grew. Doctors struggled to pinpoint why the children were so sick. No matter what medications they tried, nothing seemed to help, either. A local pediatrician noted several concerning conditions such as allergies and intestinal and liver diseases which tended to become chronic around age seven.
After an investigation by the State Sanitary Epidemiological Service of Ukraine found harmful substances in drinking water, the source of the children’s diseases became clear. Years of drinking contaminated water and eating school lunches prepared with the same contaminated water was causing serious adverse health effects.
After the results of the contaminated drinking water were uncovered, the state closed the school and sent the children home until a solution could be found. Parents were incredibly worried that their children would fall behind in their studies. With no return date in sight, many families were thinking about moving away so their children could attend a new school.
Even though the situation was dire and time was of the essence, there was no help provided by the Ukrainian government to fix things. Our incredible Chalice donors came to the rescue, raising $55,426 CAD to reconstruct the school water pipeline and repair the existing well to provide safe, clean water for the 680 students at Holoby Village School.
With parents eagerly pitching in wherever they could and navigating periodic quarantine restrictions, the water project was completed in five months. Safe, clean water is finally available at the school! Parents are sharing that their children are no longer affected by nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, skin rashes or toothaches. Visits to the pediatrician have been reduced, and community members are happy to report that their lives are rapidly improving.
After such a long time of suffering, the community is rejoicing. The burden of their children ailing for so long weighed heavily on the entire community, who felt helpless not knowing what more they could do to improve the situation.
This blessing is possible thanks to the big hearts of our donors who make all of this possible. The community would like to extend their deepest thanks as they pray for your intentions and good health.
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