Temple: Local church working to provide clean water in South Sudan

TEMPLE, Texas (KWTX) The Foundation United Methodist Church in Temple is working to help provide clean water in South Sudan.

Water is something we use daily and often take for granted. But, across the world in South Sudan, clean water is hard to find.

"In South Africa, they don’t have clean water. And because of that, so many of them have diseases that kill them," Sandy Nix said. "They wouldn’t if they had clean water. That’s what we are trying to do, to provide clean water for those who don’t have it in South Sudan.”

Church members carried jerrycans, with some weighing as much as 42 pounds. The two-mile walk symbolized the journey that those in South Sudan have to make daily.

"It was exhausting but at the same time thinking about the fact that young girls in the South Sudan do this everyday, it's pretty inspiring and overwhelming at the same time," Rebecca White said.

The church is helping to raise money with Water is Basic, an organization working to restore working water wells and clean water in South Sudan.

"Right now we’re repairing water wells that have been broken. All throughout South Sudan, the territory is just littered with broken water wells," said Doug Fair, Director of Events for Water is Basic. "We are partnering today with Foundation church to see how much money we can raise, specifically to repair broken water wells in South Sudan.”

Even for the younger participants, Sunday's walk was a lesson to pass along to their friends.

“Not to think too ungrateful about things. Even though we grew up a good life, not the entire world is like that," Stormy Williamson said.

Earlier this month, the Water is Basic said they have restored 10 wells since Sept. 24.

The amount is enough to provide clean water for one village daily.