Rebuilding Hope Through a Local Church-Run Water Project
A Church That Became a Lifeline
In the rural hills of Gressier, water scarcity has always plagued the community. Children walked miles each day to fetch water from unsafe sources, missing school and risking illness. Women carried jerrycans for hours, often from rivers shared with livestock. Cholera outbreaks were not rare.
In the center of this hardship stood Église de la Grâce, a modest faith-led community church known more for prayer than projects until 2025, when everything changed.
Led by Pastor Jean-Luc Moreau, the church dreamed of transforming its empty backyard into a clean water distribution center. But where could they get the funds or technical help?
Enter Rise Fund Global
With help from a local NGO partner, Pastor Jean-Luc applied for our Community Organization Empowerment Grant which prioritizes small faith-based groups and grassroots community centers.
Upon review, Rise Fund Global awarded $18,600 to:
- Drill and install a solar-powered borehole system
- Train local volunteers in water safety and pump maintenance
- Build a fenced reservoir and tap access point
The project employed local youth as laborers, trained two female community health workers, and partnered with a local technical college for oversight.
A Flow of Change
Within 4 months, the borehole was functional. Today, the church grounds serve over 1,200 residents with safe, clean drinking water reducing disease, easing family burdens, and restoring dignity.
Local resident Madame Clarise, a widow and mother of five, shared:
“Before, I had to wake at 4am for water. Now, I just walk 5 minutes with my youngest on my back.”
Church as Community Anchor
This wasn’t just about water. It was about empowering a church to become more than a place of worship to become an institution of service.
Église de la Grâce now runs weekly health workshops, water sanitation training, and distributes hygiene kits all made possible through the infrastructure established by the grant.
Impact That Multiplies
Since this success:
- The church has partnered with 3 other churches to replicate the model.
- A nearby clinic now sources water from the same borehole.
- Youth in the church have started a Clean Water Club teaching local kids about sanitation.
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