Clean Water Changes Lives

INDIA – At an age when most children spend their afternoons playing with friends, Abraham spent his carrying water. Every day, the young boy walked to a muddy pond to collect water for his family in southern India. The water smelled bad, often made people sick, and was never truly safe to drink. But Abraham’s family had no other choice. His parents both suffered from polio as children and were unable to make the difficult trip themselves.

While other children played together after school, Abraham carried heavy containers of water home for his family. The burden took a toll on his young body. “My hands and my back would hurt and I was always really tired,” Abraham shared. The contaminated water frequently made him sick. The little money his parents earned was often spent on medicine instead of food or other necessities.

When Clean Water Changes Lives

His mother rolled incense sticks for a living. His father worked as a parking lot attendant. Together, they earned less than five dollars a day. When Abraham became ill and could not fetch water, the family struggled even more. Sometimes they barely had enough money to buy bottled water. “I was sad because my parents were struggling, and I couldn’t spend time with my friends,” Abraham said.

Despite the hardships, the family never stopped praying. “We always had faith in God,” they shared. Then their prayers were answered. Operation Blessing installed a reverse osmosis water purification system at Abraham’s school, providing safe drinking water for hundreds of students and delivering clean water directly to more than 100 families in the surrounding community. This is a powerful example of how clean water changes lives in communities that need it most.

A New Future Through Clean Water Changes Lives

Today, Abraham no longer spends his days hauling water from a dirty pond. He can attend school regularly, spend time with friends, and focus on being a child. “This water system has changed our lives,” Abraham said. “I’m so happy today.” Thanks to caring supporters like you, children like Abraham are being freed from the burden of unsafe water and given the opportunity to build a brighter future—because clean water changes lives every single day.