3-year-old Mushtaq, (at left) did the work of an adult until her village got a new clean water well. Before Mercy-USA for Aid and Development built a well in their village this year, Mushtaqs mother, Hinda, (in green above) told us that her little girl, Mushtaq helped her bring water from the seasonal dam miles away. Filled from rains for the first time in several years, the water served all the needs of the surrounding villages, including watering the livestock, washing clothes as well as drinking. Children often became sick with water-borne diseases caused by sharing the same stagnant water source with livestock.

Before Mercy-USA recently built wells near my home, my life and that of my daughter Mushtaq revolved around fetching water and finding ways to store it. Mushtaq is just three-years-old and had to walk a far distance with me to the seasonal dam four times in a day. She filled her 10-liter jerry can and I filled two 20-liter jerry cans for four times a day. When the dam was dried up we were forced to trek for miles under the scorching sun in search of water. Most days I couldnt leave Mushtaq behind because she is still very young. Even when the seasonal dam had water, we often had to wait hours for thirsty camels and sheep to fill their stomachs first before we had a chance to fill our containers but then the water was not clean. It was making the children in our community sick. I thought the struggle for water would never end. I worried about water more than anything else in my life. Now, Mercy-USA has built wellsIts been so long since I saw clean water in my village; its like a miracle. Mushtaq will be turning four next year and I now see a future where she doesnt have to worry about water. With the wells, I have new hope my daughter will attend school. Cases of diarrhea will disappear and all our children will grow up strong and healthy!