The holidays will be brighter this year for residents of a remote rural village in Gambia, due to the generosity of Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church in Oak Park.
Under the leadership of Mark Wilson, who has long-term ties to the country, and Meghan Strubel, former chair of the church’s mission committee, the church’s congregation funded the construction of a solar-powered well in Gui Jahanka, about 200 miles from the Atlantic coast. The well, which is the second to be funded by the church and led by Wilson in Gambia, was completed last month.
Located in West Africa, Gambia is a long, narrow strip of land surrounding the Gambia River. One of the poorest countries in the world, Gambia was a British colony until it won independence in 1965. The country, which is completely absorbed within Senegal, suffers from an underdeveloped infrastructure lacking major highways and freeways.
Before the construction of the new well, the village’s sole source of water was a shallow, hand-dug well that was often polluted, contributing to waterborne diseases that particularly impacted children. Women and girls were forced to endure arduous and time-consuming treks to gather water, which often precluded them from attending school. In addition, the well was unreliable during the dry season.
“Water is life. I knew that a well-functioning well with several taps would have a profound effect on everyone in the village, particularly women. Now they can just turn on a tap to get fresh, plentiful water. Clean water can reduce infant deaths and increase the life expectancy of all of the villagers,” Wilson said.
Mark & Ingrid with Tento Village Head
Wilson has had a deep affection for Gambia ever since serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in the country after graduating from college. He was assigned to help build schools in a village with no electricity or running water. The experience was transformative and resulted in several life-long friendships.
“It was incredible to live in a radically different culture with a different religion—the people are primarily Muslim—a different language, different foods and customs. The people were some of the kindest, most generous and open that I had ever met. Because there was no electricity, we spent a lot of time in the evenings sitting around talking and relating on a human level. I quickly understood the interconnectedness between people—we all really have the same wants and needs and desires for our children,” Wilson said.
Wilson returned to the U.S. after two years, hoping to return but life got in the way—graduate school, a career and raising a family. He finally returned to Gambia seven years ago, with his wife, Ingrid, who had heard so much about the country. They were at a point in their lives where they felt they could make a significant contribution by funding wells throughout the country.
The Wilsons shared their passion for supporting wells with their fellow congregants at Fair Oaks, encouraged by Strubel, who led the church’s mission committee.
“The church has a commitment to apply 13% of our operating budget to local and international mission efforts. I wanted to bring the work of the mission committee to the forefront of the congregation, so I addressed our members from the pulpit, asking them to share what service activities they were passionate about. Mark and Ingrid heeded that call and the committee loved the idea of supporting wells,” Strubel said.
Fair Oaks partnered with Working Water The Gambia, a nonprofit organization, to construct the well in Gui Jahanka, as well as a previous well in Tento Malik Bah. An on-the-ground coordinator from the organization first meets with villagers to make sure there is buy-in for a well. A six-person gender-balanced committee is then assigned to oversee the project, including creating a maintenance fund supported by village families. The well is then built to meet the village’s needs in a small-scale, environmentally sound and sustainable way.
“This project has really energized the entire church,” Strubel said. “We learned more about the broader issues impacting Africa. And it has helped raise the profile of the mission committee, which also funds projects serving the Austin neighborhood and the increasing number of migrants in our community as well as programs in Thailand and Cuba. The well project really lit a spark and I think it will serve as a model for others in the church who want to share their passions. It is really motivating the congregation to take action.”
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Publish date : 2023-12-19 08:00:00
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