It is easy to assume that valuable humanitarian work is a result of abundant money, time and expertise. Children’s Heritage Foundation's 2009 trip to the Dominican Republic proved otherwise when a group of 24 high school students changed the lives of 2000 villagers, who live next door to the country's largest garbage dump.

This village has not had a source of running water for over 25 years. They had to purchase the water they needed from a water truck that stopped by for a few days every week. At ninety cents a gallon, this expense represents a huge blow to the income of families who live by whatever they can scavenge from the garbage dump. The old and the sick, who were not able to meet the truck and carry a five-gallon jug back to their homes, were at the mercy of their neighbors. CHF learned of this village and its needs three years ago and decided to return to the Dominican Republic in the summer of 2009 to begin the steps of providing this village with access to clean, running water.

The 24 students from Santa Fe Christian School laid the groundwork for the water system with pickaxes and shovels, spending a week in the Caribbean heat and humidity digging trenches in the rocky soil. Their first day on the job brought many curious onlookers from the village. By the second day, they were joined by locals who were eager to participate in their project. The faith and the resources that CHF brought to the project were severely tested when the well-drilling

company announced that it would take another $5,000 to $7,000 to complete the project—over twice as much money as the team had raised. In response to this news, the students gathered to pray and strategize. Calls were made to the U.S., and Mr. & Mrs. Wimsatt, parents of two students in the group, agreed to wire $10,000 to the team so that the well could be completed.

Robert Lewison, one of the team chaperones and an administrator for CHF recalls the reaction of the villagers when the project was complete. "A group of ladies came over to the church with big grins on their faces, repeating the phrase 'hace veinte-cinco años'--it has been 25 years since they had running water. They were just beside themselves." The villagers took him around to see where people had situated their first faucets. "There are people in that village who are twenty-five years old, who have never taken a shower," he says, remembering in particular one girl who was washing dishes in her kitchen for the first time. "The smile on her face was hard to forget."

The village's gladness and gratitude extended beyond the American team's visit. During the months of August and September, the community pooled their resources, both in labor and in money, to finish laying pipes to individual houses. Moreover, the villagers established a fund in care of the church, to provide for repairs or improvements to the system in the future. "The result is unbelievable," says Robert Lewison. "Sometimes you think, 'What can Americans going abroad for a week actually accomplish?' "But their efforts have literally changed people's lives. Villagers will lead a more healthy and prosperous lifestyle as a result."

If you would like to get information on our    other water projects in the Dominican Republicplease contact Robert:                    Robert@childrensheritagefoundtion.org              or 858-481-1389