Radical transformation: Having clean water helped heal this orphan's skin disease.

SOMALILAND, Africa – In a remote orphanage in the heart of Somaliland, hundreds of children cram into small spaces to try and sleep through the night. But sleeping seems to be the least of their problems.

With no running water and no way to keep the children clean, disease and infections were rampant among the orphans.

Somaliland, which is in the horn of Africa, declared independence from Somalia in 1991 after Gen. Barre's central government in Mogadishu collapsed. Today the war-torn country is still not recognized by the United Nations and other countries as its own entity.

Before OBI's Orphan's Promise arrived to Haregeisa, the orphanage's 327 children shared one toilet and had no access to running water.

War and poverty have spiked the number of children without parents or caregivers and orphanages are bursting at the seams. This orphanage in Hargeisa is no exception.

In May 2007, OBI staff visited the orphanage and found 327 children living there with only one toilet and no running water.

Through the Orphan’s Promise program, OBI supplied more than $25,000 to renovate the facility. Six months later, the orphanage has showers, sinks, spigots and toilets as well as other water access points in and outside the building.

“For the 13 years I have been here, there has never been a shower,” said Bashir, an older orphan. Bashir’s parents were killed when a grenade hit his home.

"For 13 years, there has never been a shower," said Bashir (above).

Today, he still lives at the orphanage, but is attending a local university where he is studying to become a lawyer. “I will never forget to come back and visit my brothers and sisters at the orphanage and fight for their futures,” he said. Now that the orphanage has access to clean water, that’s one less fight Bashir has to worry about.

“Having clean drinking water has made a radical difference in the lives of the orphans and greatly reduced the number of illnesses,” said David Darg, OBI’s deputy director for international programs. “Step by step we will change their lives for the better.”

 

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