Well Drilling Saves Indian Village’s Future

Poolapally, India – Marigold fields surround the small huts. Its name means, “flower village”. Many of Poolapally’s 300 families work the land as horticulturists -- flower farmers. Dependent on the less than steady rainfall, the village’s meager existence has become threatened over the last several years. See how OBI had a hand in changing this community’s future!

As his father’s only son, Pentiah had spent his life providing for his family by working in the marigold fields. Pentiah lost his parents as a teenager, forcing him to continue to provide for himself. He soon married and became a father.

Borrowing large sums of money to help cultivate the land and paying it back at harvest time was the way of life for Pentiah and his neighboring farmers. Experiencing continually small harvests, debts grew and earnings barely covered food expenses. Pentiah owed money to several moneylenders. Desperate, he asked local authorities several times to help the community by building a water source to use both for the fields and drinking. Silence answered him. Hopeless, Pentiah committed suicide. Tragically, he also took his wife and three-year-old son.

Hearing of the tragedy the local authorities provided an open well a half a mile’s walk away. It was deemed contaminated, many diseases were spreading and it was too far for many of the women to walk. Told that there is no water around their village, Poolapally’s pastor contacted the Christian Broadcasting Network’s India Living Water Team and asked for help.

In partnership with Operation Blessing, the Living Water drilling team arrived. This would be the first of 50 wells to be sponsored by the King Benevolent Fund! As they drilled, the villagers watched enthusiastically. To their amazement, water gushed forth. The people exclaimed, “This is God given water.”

One woman exclaimed, “Now I don’t have to walk for half a mile to get water. I have clean drinking water right in the village. Thank you.”

A grateful man commented, “No one has ever done such a good thing for us, as an appreciation I would like to donate a piece of my land to build a church.”

Every month the Living Water team provides 50 to 60 villages with clean drinking water. The leader of the drilling team commented, “We have seen a 99 percent success rate. None of the wells we have dug have gone dry. We have seen many lives changed for the glory of God. We thank CBN and Operation Blessing for making this possible for the people of India.”

Stay tuned as more well drilling projects begin to take place around the world!