Envision Culture-Sponsored Wells Sustain 50,000-Plus Burkinabe

By John Arnold, serving with Envision Culture in Burkina Faso, West Africa

The lack of clean water is a huge problem in rural Burkina. Many travel up to five miles daily, one way, to get a bucket or two of potable water. Others drink from stagnant pools—either because their wells have dried up or the rains have caused them to cave in.

World Water Day, March 22, reminds us that many in the world face a clean water crisis, and children bear the brunt. According to the grassroots advocacy group ONE, most deaths from diarrheal disease—which claims 3,000 children’s lives every day—are due to poor drinking water and inadequate sanitation.

L’eau de Vie

The video L’eau de Vie (voted Best Documentary 168 Film Festival 2012) portrays the plight of rural Burkinabe and how fresh-water wells are being provided in Jesus’ Name through partnerships with groups like Envision Culture Burkina Faso.

100 Wells Dug!


Over the past three years, Envision Culture has been able to help construct more than 100 wells in Burkina. Each well can provide clean water to villages that are home to 500 people. Larger villages of course require additional wells.

But providing clean water is not enough. We also want to also bring Living Water to the millions in this country who follow the predominant religion. Praise God—this is happening!

Because many Burkinabe are receiving drinkable water, they are now more open to hearing the good news.

Well Evangelism

Regrettably, when a village well in Burkina starts to get low, Christians are literally chased away and not allowed to draw water. So, most of our wells are located at or near a village church.

In several villages where we’ve completed wells, some of original wells have dried up. Believers have shown the love of Jesus to their nonbelieving neighbors, inviting the same people who previously chased them away from collecting water to come and drink from their well.

A few weeks ago, a team from the United States toured Burkina to see the wells that they had helped to fund. One night, we held an evangelistic service in three villages where we had helped to install wells.

Three adults gave their hearts to the Lord in each village—we now have nine new members in God’s family.

If we can’t bring clean water to the Burkinabe who are in dire need of it, how can we share the Living Water with the spiritually thirsty and expect them to receive it? Through building wells, we are blessed to meet both needs.

What You Can Do

Make a Donation

  • Give to the Great Commission Fund; help bring the Water of Life to people the world over.
  • Give to CleanWaterInAfrica.com and help build over 1000 wells in Burkina Faso. Note: This link will take you off of The Alliance Web site.

Learn More

  • Take a trip or learn more about Burkina Faso service opportunities through Envision Culture
  • Pray for the millions worldwide still in desperate need of clean water—and the Living Water.

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