After another long car ride on a bumpy dirt road, members of the trip arrived in a small rural community for a well dedication ceremony. We gathered around the new water source and met with residents. They were not shy in thanking us for bringing water to their area. They'd previously walked more than two hours each way to bring water back to their homes by the bucket. This well would allow them to spend more time in their fields, in school and with their families.

Esperança is making a significant impact within these affected communities - one step at a time.  From building wells that provide for fresh and sanitary water to a village whose members historically would walk for hours to obtain this most basic resource, to building reliable and safe shelter, to providing critical health care training to reduce child mortality - the cumulative effect of Esperança's efforts is staggering.

The most rewarding element of the trip was the ability to account for immediate improvements to individuals' daily lives and to witness the genuine appreciation of the Nicaraguan people for Esperança.  It was readily apparent from their facial expressions and comments that Esperança had made a terrific impact upon their communities. Their sentiments clearly came from their heart and it was extremely moving to realize how profound and life-altering the contributions of Esperança were and would continue to be.

We are proud of the work we are able to do, especially when we are able to see such a visible change. The thousand dollars it cost to build this well directly improves the health and well-being of an entire community. Your support of Esperança goes directly to projects such as this well. You can be confident that $.87 of every dollar you donate is being spent in the field in the effective programming Keith described.  Water Quality donation.