Connecting Columbia Union Seventh-day Adventists

A Need That Is Never Ending

Story by Christina Keresoma

Many of us take for granted an everyday item that is readily available: water. Our homes have water, whether tap water or filtered water, or we have bottled water delivered to our doors. But every few seconds, somewhere in the world, a child five years old or younger dies because he or she does not have access to clean water, food, or basic medicines.

Each year, an estimated 1.6 million children under the age of 5 die from contaminated water. The all-volunteer nonprofit organization RipplAffect believes that helping others gain access to sustainable, clean drinking water has the potential to save countless lives, especially children’s.

RipplAffect was inspired by a miracle in the life of Narcisa Mikov, who was cured of cancer through prayer. Since her healing, she has found purpose in helping people around the world access sustainable, clean water, thereby saving lives as a way to thank God for his miraculous healing in her life.

The dream of RipplAffect started in 2016 and has taken
off like wildfire. The Adventist community, along with the Greater Dayton community, has jumped in with full support from Spring Valley Academy, local Adventist churches, Kettering Health, and surrounding businesses. So far, people in Kenya, Guatemala, Haiti, Peru, Yemen, Uganda, Bahamas, Puerto Rico, the United States, and (soon) the Philippines have received water filters to help purify unhealthy water from watering holes or water supplies after being hit by natural disasters. Over 33,000 people have benefited from receiving a filtration system.

At the beginning of some projects, the funds needed to cover costs have seemed daunting, but God has blessed each project. RipplAffect has secured a matching grant of $50,000 and the donations have miraculously come in each time.

RipplAffect has seen tremendous need due to poverty and natural disasters. They are now building a community of monthly donors so that they can respond to natural disasters quickly.

Find more information at ripplaffect.org.

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