Alice Tabu lost her husband in 2021 and can no longer afford to send her three children to school. She works hard to provide for her family by growing some vegetables and gathering firewood to sell in the market, but more is needed. The family live in Gudele West, a poor area on the edge of Juba that lacks adequate toilets and water supply.
“Just getting water is very difficult. In Gudele West there is a water borehole, but that is broken. It then leaks in the pipes underground.” – Alice Tabu
The water tank is only filled up in the dry season as they water trucks cannot reach the tank when the ground is wet and boggy.
AID’s health and hygiene workers, Trumpeter Community Health, are beginning to work with Alice’s community to help more people get access to clean water and toilets. At the moment young children are severely at risk from illnesses such as diarrhoea, cholera and pneumonia often spread by unclean water and poor sanitation (i.e. lack of toilets and the resulting open defecation). South Sudan has one of the highest child mortality rates in the world.
Left is Gudele West’s water tank and only water source. The community are forced to place bowls and jerry cans underneath to catch water dripping down. Trumpeter Community Health will help the community build a reliable borehole for water and also to treat unclean water.
Alice is also trained in public health promotion and hopes to find work with AID’s Trumpeter Community Health project soon. Like all Trumpeter workers, Alice is a committed Christian and active member of her local church. She says,
Sometimes, by God’s grace, some people who knew my husband have helped me since his death. God is the one who called my husband. And now God is also the one feeding my family, because nobody is supporting me.
As well as visiting households to train them in health and hygiene, the Trumpeters often pray with and encourage families in Christ. They work closely with the local church.
You can support their work by donating to our summer campaign.
