The topography of the former, unsafe water source

The Rukore region has seven villages, with three of the villages drawing water from one shared point. Before World Vision, the three villages did not have safe drinking water. Many of the school children either missed class regularly to fetch water several miles from their homes or because they were sick from drinking dirty water. Parents could not practice proper hygiene due to low water accessibility.

The majority of the people in this area live in the hills. With the water in the low plain, this created a lot of hardship for children, who do the water fetching as a home chore. 

She became an example to everyone in the church. She gives hope and teaches the love of God to children during Sunday school and her smile brings joy to all that surround her. She is only 14 years old and at a very young age, Julie* has seen the darkness of life, felt the pain of losing her loved ones, but at the same time found the strength to get up, move forward and shine. Julie lives in a neighborhood surrounded by gangs, drugs and violence. “Living in this neighborhood can be very scary. There is a lot of poverty, a lack of opportunities and broken families. 

Elezeti & Lufelo now live happily

It is windy and the air of Ntambo community’s bare horizon is fully engulfed in dusty particles, flickering through the twilight. It is difficult to see as we drive on the small dirt road leading to Elezeti Mwale’s home in eastern Zambia.

Not that many years ago, Elezeti was preparing to work in the field. Her youngest son, Lufelo, then 8, left to harvest a sack of cotton to help pay his school fees when something terrible happened to him. “A big snake bit me above my right ankle,” Lufelo says, “I screamed for help before I fell down, feeling a sharp pain.”

Catherine (right) collects clean water

We felt like we were on an island of large flat sheets of rock, separated from the rest of the villages by huge gullies and cliffs. Our driver meandered gently over the bouncy road to Koiserat village in the Bartabwa area program. There are two levels to this region: the high and the lowlands. Koiserat is the end of the highland. It’s a flat rocky expanse, just before the drop to the expansive Kerio Valley. One does not need to be told that water is a challenge here because it is clear from a quick look at the area. We are welcomed by Catherine Toroitich. She starts narrating the challenges she endured for many years.

Carmen and Kevin read a Bible lesson together

¨My mother doesn’t love me,” eleven-year-old Kevin used to say. He is shy, but strong-willed. There was a time he would repeat this phrase to his mother Carmen Cruz, 32. Carmen remembers it was hard for her to learn how to love and show tenderness to Kevin because it wasn´t how she was brought up.

Carmen was raised by her grandparents because her mother couldn’t care for her. She remembers the lack of love and affection from her mother and that´s why she tries to be there for Kevin, to break the cycle and repeat what had happened to her. Carmen recalls seasons where Kevin would rebel in school and fight against his teachers and parents.

Virgina’s bounty of fruits & vegetables are ready for market

“I need to rush to the market place because there is a big truck from the city coming to pick some sacks of food that I sell to them on a weekly basis. They always get here at around this time, so I have to get there before they do,” says Virginia.

Virginia, 37, is a jovial woman and full of stamina while she goes about her work. Her face is lit with joy as she fervently shares the story of her transformation. She is a farmer. Virginia owns gardens where she grows bananas, corn, yams, pineapples, and sweet potatoes among other crops. She also owns a piggery and other livestock.

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.”

—Luke 2:8 (NIV)

For many people, just one verse from the Christmas story brings back memories of candlelight church services or family gathered by the tree. Across the globe, though the settings look different, the story is the same. But for Christians everywhere, we’re united in our common faith when we read the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ birth.

Taulo & Rosemary in front of their new home

Taulo Banda, 42, proudly showed me the electricity cable that taps power from the national grid to his house. “A few years ago, I would never have believed that one day I would live in a house like this one,” says Taulo, adding, “But, thanks to World Vision, I have achieved the impossible.” The new house is made of brick with a metal roof and windowpanes. Behind him, stands his old homestead. It is composed of two round grass-thatched structures. The sharp contrast between the old and new houses illustrates the transformation that has taken place in Taulo’s life.