Our Work

Beyond the Box: Toys lead to safe water

When we distribute Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes, we often learn of other needs that specific children, their families and their communities have.

With help from our donors we can respond and go “beyond-the-box.” One example of our “beyond the box” assistance is providing safe drinking water by building and installing life-saving BioSand Water Filters for families and communities.

Children make up 90 per cent of the 1.8 million people who die annually from diseases caused by polluted water.

Prillanqa is a child who was suffering from water-borne diseases; she battled diarrhea all of her life.

Prillanqa and her parents live in a small community along one of the tributaries of the Amazon River. After the river flooded its banks, the entire community huddled in a town square for several days to escape the water.

Operation Christmas Child representatives arranged to bring shoe boxes to the displaced children and they talked to community leaders about some of the problems that they faced. One of the biggest problems was the high incidence of illness in the community due to unsafe drinking water.

Samaritan's Purse representatives visited the community and began installing BioSand Water Filters throughout the town, with the help of a local church.

In February of this year, Samaritan's Purse workers came to Prillanqa’s home to install their BioSand Water Filter.

“The water from the filter is so good,” said Prillanqa. “I haven’t been sick once since we received it.”

Prillanqa remembers the day she received her shoe box vividly. She received a green frog puppet that she plays with constantly. Prillanqa knows that receiving her shoe box led to her family receiving their water filter.

“Thank you so much,” she says. “All of the people who have given us all of these things, I don’t feel sick anymore. It is so wonderful.”

Would you join us in making a profound difference? To help us provide children and their families with safe water, click on Donate or call 1-800-663-6500 to make a monthly or one-time donation. Thank you!

Ways You Can Help
Pray Please pray that God will continue to bring people in the developing world safe water through the BioSand Water Filter and Samaritan's Purse.		Give The need is urgent. A child is dying every 20 seconds in the developing world from diarrheal diseases caused by polluted water. Donate Here.