Friends In Action International exists to facilitate and equip mission work around the world accelerating the process of taking the Gospel to those who have never heard.
When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. Isaiah 41:17
http://www.friendsinaction.org.uk/
Our purpose
FIA Projects
• Burkina Faso – Water Well Drilling• Guinea (New Tribes Mission partnership) – Bridge construction– Medical clinic construction
• England - maintenance/ repairs to NTM Bible Training Centre
• India – Orphanage construction projects• Papua New Guinea – Sepik River Barge service
BURKINA FASO WEST AFRICA
Fact File
Capital: OuagadougouCurrency: West African
CFA FrancPopulation: 16.5 million
Official Language: French
The numbers…6000Children die each day due to poor sanitation, hygiene or lack of safe drinking water
2.5 millionDeaths occur every year from unsafe water
34The average life expectancy due to diseases caused by unclean water
6kmThe average distance a woman or child walks in Africa for drinking water
25kgThe weight a water container can weigh
5Hours per day is spent walking to get water
£5000The cost of drilling a well and installing a pump
75mDepth of a typical well
500The minimum number of people that will benefit from a well
The Water Problem
Most wells that are currently being used are hand dug – some large and some small. This water is also used by animals. Animals can also fall into these wells and die contaminating the water even more.
The women and children often walk miles to bring back water. The woman in this photo had walked a few days in search of ‘clean’ drinking water for their families.
Glad to have a drink of waterno matter how dirty it is.
As you can see the need for clean water is great and life expectancy can be as low as 34 years as a result.
The Spiritual Need
The religion of Burkina Faso is mainly Islam/Muslim. A large proportion of people have never heard the Gospel.
When drilling starts in villages large crowds of people gather to watch and this gives the missionaries accompanying the drill team a wonderful opportunity to share the good news of the Gospel.
A Brief History of the Well Drilling Ministry
• 1998 The Beginnings - Survey work• 2000 Rig and equipment shipped• 2003 Move to Ghana from Ivory Coast• 2005 – 2014 working in Burkina Faso
The 2013/14 Season
• New hangar completed• Drilling 36 wells from 50 boreholes• 6 teams• New Rig and container shipment• Advance surveying: 60 wells currently on
the ‘to do’ list
Saintfield Team
Jan 2014
Tasks completed by this team:• New kitchen to fit in Collier’s house• Re-wire the Collier’s house• Drill water wells and pump installation in a very remote
region in South West Burkina.
Drill Sites:
• Mangodara
• Pima
• Sideradougou
• Pambiesokura
• Djarakoro
• Ouo
The Team travelled by road from the capital Ouagadougou (centre of map) to the drill sites – a journey of approximately 12 hours. The terrain was very rough at times.
Needs on the field
– Funding for wells to be drilled
– Volunteers for future teams
– A forklift truck (rough terrain)
– A primary school teacher to assist Louise Collier in schooling the children (even for short period)
Please pray for
– More would be reached with the Gospel through a cup of water given in Christ’s name
– Protection/Safety – work teams and local workers
– The Collier Family and Tim Wilson– Ebola situation in West Africa– Continued expansion of the work
for His glory