health Archives - Cross International

God provides life-sustaining water in Zambia

August 6, 2020 by Cross International

The room was dark and still as she quietly gathered her things. Janet looked back over her shoulder at her sleeping family and ventured out under the inky black African sky. She had to get moving. The journey to collect water from the distant river where cattle, pigs, and wild animals also drank took over 90 minutes. Janet wanted to be one of the first women in line to avoid a long wait and the hot, rising sun. As she slowly carried the sloshing water jugs miles back home to Mgombela Village, her forehead creased with worry for the health of her infant daughter and husband. The river was contaminated and villagers would often get ill from the water.

Wake, rise, walk, collect, carry.

Like so many women, this was Janet’s routine for collecting water for her family–sometimes repeating it more than once a day. Until Cross International partner Kachere Development Programme (KDP) in Zambia announced that a new water system was to be installed in her community.

Janet, an enthusiastic and grateful young mother, rejoiced at the news and volunteered to be a member of the leadership team. Janet joined the Village WASH committee (V-WASHE). The committee is responsible for training the community about the importance of clean water, well maintenance, handwashing and the use of soap, and correct water storage.

Families that use the well pay a low monthly fee for the monitoring and maintenance service that the V-WASHE committee provides. For example, if there is a break in the borehole and pump, the collected funds will be used to make the repair. The water system serves more than 500 people.

Clean water is life
Without clean water, Janet, and mothers like her, would still be waking before the sun to walk long distances, share water with animals, and put their family at potential risk for illnesses and diseases. Contaminated water can make children miss school and mothers unable to take care of their children.

Now the women in Janet’s village have more time, literally hours each day, to manage small businesses to help put food on the table at home. They benefit from knowing they have value and are contributing to the care of the family. For young girls, a clean water source can mean spending as much as 25% more time in school, where education empowers a better, hope-filled future.

Clean Water partner spotlight: Zambia’s Kachere Development Programme

July 30, 2020 by Cross International

Imagine you wake up, shuffle into the bathroom, turn the handle in the shower, and then … nothing. No water comes from the faucet. What do you do?

You call the plumber.

Now, imagine you live in a small village in Africa. You wake up and walk an hour to the well that holds the only clean water source for miles. You fill your vessel and slowly carry it back home. Then you turn around and walk the same path back to the well. You do this morning after morning, all for enough safe water to last the day.

Most of us don’t worry about whether the water we use is clean or safe. For many in the developing world, finding a life-giving water source is a real challenge … with life-and-death consequences.

Cross International believes that water is life. We know that not only is a clean water source essential, but so is education around proper hygiene, sanitation practices, and equipment so the water remains clean from source to stomachs.

We are committed to working with our local ministry partners to do the hard work needed to solve these problems. One hundred percent of our clean water programs incorporate WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) training to make sure local people know how to handle clean water appropriately. We also develop local leadership’s commitment to the ongoing monitoring and upkeep of the project’s work.

In the Eastern Province of Zambia, Africa, Cross International and Kachere Development Programme (KDP) partnered to provide a bore hole for access to clean water in the village. To avoid the underlying issues of illness that stem from contaminated water, we also established the Village WASH (VWASH) program to train local leaders on health and hygiene. Leaders take what they learn and bring ownership and knowledge of best practices to their community so clean water remains sustainable.

The training covers:

The importance of keeping the borehole surroundings clean
Diseases caused by drinking dirty water
The value of good hygiene and sanitation
Basic maintenance of the borehole
Income-generating business ideas related to the sustainability of the borehole maintenance
Roles of the WASH committee members
Biblical principles of the Water for Life Project

With our partner, KDP, we continue to identify remote villages that have no clean water options other than an open pit or river often contaminated and shared with animals. We rely on local information when deciding to invest into a new community well, and self-help groups formed by women in the rural villages help select well and borehole locations. More villages are reached, more villages and lives are served.

In Zambia, our partnership with KDP has impacted 22,200 households with access to clean, safe and sufficient drinking water. We equipped 780 VWASH committee members with knowledge on health, water and sanitation. Through increased media visibility of the program, 62,000 people have received health education information through community awareness meetings and radio programmes in five chiefdoms of Chipata Kasenengwa and Chipangali District of Eastern Province. Without the task of fetching water for hours a day, thousands of mothers have time for activities that could help their households survive and children can remain in school.

Where water flows, so does opportunity. For so many vulnerable families around the world, getting clean water isn’t as easy as turning on the faucet. With ongoing support from our generous donors, we can help our local ministry partners transform lives from deepest need into thriving joy with clean, life-giving water.

Offering ‘a cup of water’ in Jesus’ name

July 23, 2020 by Cross International

It’s not surprising that the ministry of Jesus on this earth was associated with water in many ways. The images of Him in the biblical accounts often place him speaking life-giving words while on a sea shore, in a boat, sitting near a well, or on the banks of a flowing river. Water’s sparkling presence was a part of the everyday lives of those Jesus was speaking to, and its properties were an easy metaphor Christ was able to use in describing the new life he was offering through the gospel. John 4:14 records the words of Jesus as he describes this comparison: “Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (NIV).

This beautiful picture is a source of inspiration and hope, especially for those of us who are able to vividly imagine the clean water we have so easily accessible to us. But for too many in the developing world, clean water is nowhere to be found. Arduous hikes of several miles to reach polluted streams and pools of stagnant water may be the only options for families who desperately need it to quench their thirst, and who must take the risk of the diseases lurking in the very water they need for life.

Not only does Jesus’ call to serve those in need compel us to help those in these dangerous situations, He specifically invites us to offer relief in the form of this simple life-giving gift. “Truly I tell you,” He says in Mark 9:41, “anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward” (NIV). His words make it clear that as followers of Christ, our concern for others must not just be for their spiritual health, but for the basic physical needs of water, food, and health.

By caring for these elemental needs of those facing deep and systemic poverty around the world, we are able to offer hope and life in Jesus’ name. What better illustration is there of our love and our willingness to follow Christ’s example? We work tirelessly alongside our ministry partners in their local communities to provide wells of clean water, dependable systems to distribute that water, and much-needed training for how to preserve the cleanliness of the water through sanitary storage and use. These efforts enable the families of these communities and villages to begin to enjoy the life-giving nature of water, as it brings health and refreshment rather than disease and hours of labor.

Against this backdrop—the transformation of the water that surrounds them—we have the incredible opportunity to join our ministry partners in also showing these wonderful people how to encounter the life-giving gospel that Jesus described as water of eternal life. Just like the wells and clean water systems bring new strength and stability to the community, the peace and hope of the love of God bring a source of new life to those who hear and believe.

The rewards of this work are immediate as well as eternal! We have experienced heart-filling joy many times over as we’ve watched the impact of clean water help quickly transform communities into thriving centers of opportunity and healthy families. The eternal significance of this work only compounds our joy in service. Won’t you join us in sharing not only a cup of water, but the ongoing source of clean water and the joy found in God’s love? We would love your partnership in this work!

Our Philosophy: The life-giving power of clean water

July 9, 2020 by Cross International

In everything we do, we seek to serve the whole person: physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually. Whether addressing the needs of a vulnerable child, the challenges facing a family in poverty, or the issues preventing a community from thriving, we deal with specific problems with the understanding that each issue interacts with and impacts others. In this series, we focus on one specific facet of the complex challenges facing those in need around the world.

“Water is life.” Most of us would agree with that statement without even thinking. That’s actually very telling: most of us haven’t had to worry about whether the water we use is clean or safe. The truth is, clean water is life. Unfortunately, for many in the developing world, finding a life-giving water source is really hard…with life-and-death consequences. For Cross International, there are few issues more critical to address in the communities we serve than clean water.

According to the World Health Organization, 785 million people in the world lack even a basic drinking-water service. Of those, 144 million depend on surface water from rivers, lakes, or streams. At least 2 billion people depend on a drinking water source contaminated with feces. In these circumstances, the very substance that is supposed to bring life often brings death. Contaminated drinking water causes an estimated 485 thousand diarrhoeal deaths each year. Diseases such as cholera, dysentery, typhoid, and polio lurk in contaminated water.

The impact of contaminated water is clear, but the issue is actually complex to address. A clean water source is essential, but to provide that water to a community, much more is needed. Communities must learn proper hygiene and sanitation practices so the water remains clean all the way from the source to a thirsty child’s lips. It must be carried, stored, and served in clean vessels. Maintaining a clean water source and equipment requires local leadership who are committed to plan for needed repairs…and the financial stability to pay for them. Providing clean water means understanding and addressing these interrelated issues.

Cross International is committed to working with our local ministry partners to do the hard work needed to solve these problems. When we commit to a water project, we rely on local information. We know our partners have evaluated the broader community needs and often have integrated programs in place. One hundred percent of our clean water programs incorporate WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) training to make sure local people know how to handle clean water appropriately. We also develop local leadership’s commitment to the ongoing monitoring and upkeep of the project’s work.

Over years of successful clean water initiatives, we’ve constantly improved our methodology and our commitment to technical expertise with partners who truly know how to provide clean water…and all the necessary services that support it. Years of experience–and the benefit of monitoring the progress of water projects over time–have shown us which approaches truly bring life-giving health. Our goal is always to have a long-term positive impact, and we have learned that clean water is worth the investment. You get what you pay for, so we work only with experienced drilling companies who can guarantee their work.

The good news? Solving a community’s need for clean water has a huge impact! An obvious and tremendous benefit is the health of children and families who have access to clean water. The absence of the diseases and illness in contaminated water mean that these families are able to work, learn, play, and grow. Clean water access is particularly important for women and girls. Rather than having to walk for hours each day to draw and carry water, these wonderful women can manage small businesses and provide for their families. For young girls, not having to fetch water can mean as much as 25% more time in school, soaking in valuable education.

Clean water is life, and so many communities around the world still need its life-giving flow. With your help, Cross International is able to bring clean water to literally thousands of children and their families annually. We prioritize locations that have never had a clean water source. Will you join us in bringing life-giving water and the life-giving love of God to so many who still need our help? The positive impacts will continue for generations to come!

The example of Jesus: a healing touch for the hurting

March 5, 2020 by Cross International

A healing touch—that’s how so many people were introduced to the compassion of Jesus when he walked on earth. In the Bible, gospel stories show how Jesus was moved time and again to touch and heal those who were physically hurting: the blind, the lame, the lepers…even those at the point of death and beyond. He understood the toll of pain, and he used his ability to minister to people’s bodies as a way to introduce them to the ultimate healing he could provide their souls. This biblical example guides our work in the area of medical aid and healthcare services.

In Luke, chapter 10, Jesus told one of his most remembered parables, of one person being moved by compassion to help another in pain. The healing touch in the parable came from the good Samaritan, someone who didn’t have any relationship with the wounded man. They had never met, and the circumstances of their day would have actually created quite a distance between them, socially. But despite that, the Good Samaritan felt not only empathy for the other’s pain, he felt a responsibility to care for him. Jesus described this man tenderly dressing the wounds of the injured man, bringing him to a place of safety and rest, and paying for his ongoing care to ensure he would find his way back to health. The beautiful image Jesus creates in the story is one of sacrificial giving and true concern for a stranger.

Through His stories and His example, Jesus calls us to reach out to the world around us, offering hope and meeting others’ needs as we are able. Just as Jesus was attentive to the physical ailments of those around him, we believe it is our responsibility to understand the medical and health challenges of those we serve and to respond in compassion. It doesn’t require changing the world; it’s as simple as seeing the pain in someone’s eyes and moving forward in love. Often, those in deepest need of our help may be strangers to us, living in places of the world with challenges far greater than those we face. Even in these cases—and perhaps especially in these cases—we believe in following a simple motto: “When you can, help.”

We invite you to join us in responding to those in need of medical aid and physical healing, following Christ’s example of compassion. Would you pray for those facing disease and illness in areas around the world where barriers to healthcare are often insurmountable without the help of others? Pray that God would send the care and medicine they need. As you are able, we also invite you to join us by giving generously to the ministry of Cross International and its many local partners throughout the world, who provide much needed services, like medicine and healthcare, to those who need our help.

Our Philosophy: Strategic, Integrated, and Compassionate Medical Aid

February 27, 2020 by Cross International

In everything we do, we seek to serve the whole person: physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually. Whether addressing the needs of a vulnerable child, the challenges facing a family in poverty, or the issues preventing a community from thriving, we deal with specific problems with the understanding that each issue interacts with and impacts others. In this series, we focus on one specific facet of the complex challenges facing those in need around the world.

In seeking to help those in deepest need, few issues are more challenging than health and medical conditions. According to the World Health Organization, half of the world’s population lacks access to essential health services. In the developing world, the barriers to healthcare are discouraging. Availability of healthcare services is limited, physically reaching healthcare providers can be difficult, healthcare workers are inadequately trained, and the cost of medical services is very high. These barriers are intimidating–even for someone in good health.

Unfortunately, most of the world lives with these barriers. Almost 800 million people worldwide spend at least 10% of their household budget on healthcare for someone in their home. Caring for a sick child or loved one would motivate anyone to spend sacrificially to help them get well. This same dedication forces many people around the world to face tremendously hard decisions. In fact, for almost 100 million, those health expenses thrusting them into extreme poverty.

From our experiences in areas of deep need around the world, we understand that resolving health issues is critical for other services to be effective. The most thoughtful educational or vocational training programs will stall if students aren’t well enough to learn. Efforts to provide clean water and nutritious diet are also tightly interdependent with the medical issues in a home or community. This is why medical aid will always be an important component of the services we promote and advance through our work with local ministry partners around the world.

We believe medical aid for those in need should not only provide treatment, but also include disease prevention and health education. Treatment rightly focuses on existing conditions needing compassionate intervention. But sustained good health requires battling preventable diseases before they occur. Through healthcare education and sanitation best practices, we can promote the ongoing health of families and communities. We also believe in working closely with local ministry partners who best understand the needs of their own communities and the type of support that will be most effective. These partners are deeply rooted in their communities, providing a sustained support that is often key in tackling systemic underlying issues surrounding medical needs. Finally, for a thriving community, we believe it is critical to integrate medical aid efforts with other programs promoting educational, social, and spiritual well being.

These beliefs guide our three main approaches to medical aid. First, we provide ‘in-kind’ donations of medicines and medical supplies for those who may receive a medical exam or consultation only to find that the medicine they need is not available in their area or too expensive to purchase. Our local ministry partners help us identify essential medicines that are needed most, and Cross International does our best to solicit donations of those crucial supplies to provide to our local partners who serve the most vulnerable. These local partners may run medical clinics themselves, or they may provide them to regional medical network partners who also serve those who are in need. Second, when our ministry partners run medical clinics as part of their overall programming, we often support those operations. Many times, these services are not only for children in our partners’ care, but also for the community around them. Finally, as we support the vision and planning of other local partners, we encourage them to always consider medical aid and ministry in their scope. We help them understand the role of health-promoting services in their overall program success, and we help them navigate the process of assessing or developing this aspect of their ministries.

Medical aid challenges are broad-ranging and widespread, but the impact is as individual as every life that is changed through this work. As we advance services like these, we’re encouraged by the stories and faces of those children and families touched by a healing hand or strengthened by a life-giving medicine. Our goal of transformed lives is only possible when people are able to grow and thrive physically. If you haven’t yet joined us, we invite you to be a part of this exciting and meaningful partnership.

Thriving kids start with a healthy home

February 11, 2020 by Cross International

Chances are the floor beneath you right now is a soft carpet, beautifully stained kitchen hardwood or smooth tile, right? That solid ground within your home gives you warmth, safety from disease and danger, rest, and peace of mind for body and soul. That stable foundation is everything.

Today, 1-1.5 million Guatemalan children and their family members live in homes made of dirt floors, cornstalks, mud, sticks, and any other materials they can find. These makeshift structures leave them vulnerable to violence, theft, and diseases such as asthma, tuberculosis, influenza, anemia, and diarrhea, as well as decreased mental health.

God is helping kids thrive through your generous giving!

Thanks to generous donors like you, Cross International is doing more than just replacing dirt floors. With help from our ministry partners in Latin America and around the world, we’re providing entire, safe and secure homes for marginalized families. For example, at Hope of Life in Guatemala, we’ve already built more than 20 concrete block homes, impacting over 200 people.

As we celebrate the good your giving has provided, we cannot ignore the work still left to do. Cross International relies on local pastors and Christian leaders to help us identify which families are in the greatest need of a new home, creating the opportunity for God’s love to be shared. Telling families this help is in Jesus’ name opens their hearts and minds to receive the Gospel.

What’s under your feet matters.

Replacing a dirt floor with cement can be as good for a child’s health as nutritional supplements and as helpful for brain development as early childhood development programs. Cement reduces parasites, resulting in 13% less diarrheal disease, a 20% reduction in anemia –both life-threatening –, 30% higher scores in language and communication skills and 9% improvement in vocabulary in children under six. Not only are children better off on a strong foundation, but studies find that their mothers are less depressed, less stressed, and happier.

The impact of your donation to Thriving Kids is huge: healthy housing stabilizes lives in unimaginable ways. A lockable door protects against danger and theft. A nearby latrine reduces parasitic infections. A roof gives a family rest and shelter from driving rain. When basic needs are met, an entire community is impacted. For children and families around the world, housing is health.

Stable homes, stable families

Healthy homes change lives by creating income opportunities, advancing education, improving health, reducing crimes against women and children, strengthening faith, supporting mental health and much more.

We pray you’ll continue to support Cross International’s Thriving Kids initiative as we build homes and provide other life enhancing services for families. We believe that thriving kids need a safe home and the knowledge of God’s love. Please join us!