Few of us know the heartache of being pushed from our homelands by the threat of violent conflict, only to be confronted by new dangers in the very place we sought safety. But that is Mindraa’s story. After her husband was shot and killed, this South Sudanese mother of five fled on foot with her young children to Uganda’s Bidibidi refugee settlement, a 10-day journey. But upon arrival, Mindraa and her children were faced with a new threat: unsafe water.
Mindraa and her new neighbors collected water from streams and stagnant sources contaminated with worms. This caused itchy rashes when she bathed her children and stomachaches and diarrhea when it was consumed. Despite her efforts to boil the water, the risks remained, renewing her fear for her children’s lives.
“I felt traumatized,” Mindraa remembers. “I brought the children here for safety, and now I feared they would die from the water.”
Mindraa’s story took a turn when, thanks to the generosity of our supporters, Water Mission intervened, bringing safe water solutions to Bidibidi. Together with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and local partners, Water Mission installed boreholes, faucets, and reservoir tanks, providing Mindraa and the other refugees in Bidibidi access to safe water. Mindraa recounts the profound impact in her own words: “Since the safe water project…I’ve seen a great change in the children. Their bodies are healthy. They can wear clean clothes, take baths, and go to school healthy.”
Together with supporters like you, Water Mission’s programs have transformed the lives of so many other refugee families in Bidibidi. Going beyond safe water and sanitation, Water Mission’s Trauma Healing Program has offered emotional, mental, and spiritual support to refugees in Bidibidi, helping them cope with the unimaginable challenges they face.
Mindraa’s journey from hardship to hope is just one of countless stories that have been made possible through the generosity of Water Mission’s partners. Your continued support enables us to bring hope and healing to communities like Bidibidi, turning stories of despair into tales of resilience and renewal.
Together, we can create a world where everyone has access to the basic necessities of life and the opportunity to thrive. Thank you for joining hands with us as we add a page to Mindraa’s story and those of so many others around the world.