The Challenge in 2010
In 2009 Fields of Life purchased its first drilling rig enabling the charity to drill 1 well a week, which could supply up to 1000 people with water. While in Uganda the Water for Life team got to see the rig and drilling team in action supplying vulnerable and marginalised communities with clean water. The impact of a well was enormous. Speaking about their challenge back in 2010, the team explain: 'We are not "giving aid. We are giving people a chance to get out of a trap, off their knees and on to their feet. They are well capable of looking after themselves with access to education after that". The first Fields of Life rig could only drill to a certain depth and that became a barrier to extracting water in some regions. The Water for Life Challenge team in 2010 after their trip committed to fundraising for a bigger rig, which would drill considerably deeper. Along with this they also incredibly committed to funding the first 25 wells, for the new rig to drill. The men set themselves an ambitious target of £200,000 by the end of 2012 to purchase a second, larger rig for Fields of Life and to drill 25 wells.
The team hit their target in 2012
By September 2011, the team had hit £100.000! The team reached their £200,000 target by October 2012. The drilling rig was purchased at the end of 2011 and in operation in Uganda by December 2011. Neville Woods got to travel to Uganda again in 2012 where he got to see the new rig in operation in Oyam District in Northern Uganda. Speaking about his recent time in Uganda, Neville says: "Being in Uganda again, seeing the rig working and the reaction of the community was unbelievable. We arrived at this remote site in the bush where the drillers were at work. The whole community had come out to welcome the team with song and dance as they waited with much excitement to receive fresh clean water for the first time. The more wells Fields of Life can drill, the more people will live."
The Water for Life team continues to grow!
The Water for Life team continues to grow!
Since the Water for Life Challenge team was formed following their trip in October 2010, Fields of Life have continued to run Five Day Fact Finding Trips in which Angus Wilson brings people from various backgrounds to Uganda for 5 days to see the work on the ground. We are delighted to have some who have travelled on these teams, share the same passion for clean water and consequently joined the Water for Life team in their new challenge! With the addition on new members the team collectively fundraised for a third drilling rig for Fields of Life to further extend their water drilling programme and bring hope to even more people in need! The team have remained committed to the Water for Life challenge through various fundraising events and in 2016 the third drilling rig arrived on Ugandan soil ready to bring clean water to vulnerable communities! Caleb, Fields of Life East Africa Office shares about the third rig arriving in Uganda; 'Exhilaration, excitement, joy and tension - what you could vividly tell on everyone's face at Mmanze Secondary School. It didn't exclude the young or the elderly. There were hundreds of people gathered who had never witnessed the process of water drilling and had never seen or tasted clean water! The excitement and cheers of joy would easily be justified based on the long distances these villagers had been walking daily to access water. The date was the 25th of March 2016, Good Friday and we had the privilege of being present to commission the new rig that had been talked for many years! "This is historical and indeed God has finally answered our prayers," the community shouted!
