United Church of Christ in Mozambique 

The current partnership between the United Church of Christ in Mozambique (UCCM) and Global Ministries has its roots in the 1870s when the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Mission showed an interest in working in Mozambique. Today, the mission of the United Church of Christ in Mozambique is to serve God and bring people to a progressive religious experience inspired by Jesus Christ through worship, preaching, and the sacraments. The Water Well project of Machaze is an example of how the UCCM attends to the physical needs of people in addition to attending to their spiritual needs.

The scarcity of water in Machaze is a very serious problem and heavily affects women and girls who walk long distances and stand in line for hours to get one bucket of water. In many cases, girls are forced to abandon school to guarantee water for the family. In addition to the scarcity of water, past efforts to provide more access have had limited results because the water table in this area is very deep and wells have not been dug deeply enough.

The project will consist in the construction of four water wells with depths more than 110 meters. One well will be dug in the four communities of Chitobe, District Centre, Basane and, Chidoko. It is estimated that about 100 families would benefit from each of these wells.

The work will have to be carried out during high summer because this is the time when the water levels are at their lowest. This will allow for the calculation of depth for each well.  Wells will be secured and the community members will be trained to insure that the wells are maintained and conserved. Water pumps would be powered by solar panels.

Cost estimates for the project include materials, transportation, sanitation, labor, and training. The total cost for four wells is estimated at $30,000.

• $200 can provide community training on maintenance and water quality.
• $6,500 is the cost for a well.

Read the latest news about the water wells of Machaze.