Waku Kungo Water Project

Angola

The Evangelical Congregational Church in Angola (IECA) is a longstanding partner of Global Ministries, founded in 1880 in the Chilume Mission, Bailundo, and Huambo Province. Since the earliest days of its existence, IECA has paid great attention to social development. Improvements have been made in the lives of many people through projects of rehabilitation, training, literacy, health, peace, and reconciliation. Such improvements have helped the lives of many and have been beneficial in building relationships between various groups of the church’s people.

In 2010, a new primary school in Waku Kungo was constructed and dedicated, thanks in great part of a fundraising effort of the Illinois Conference of the United Church of Christ, and Second Congregational Church, Rockford IL — especially through Pastor Michael Solberg swimming the English Channel.  Illinois UCC members have enjoyed visiting Waku Kungo and the school several times since then.

Even though the building of the primary school was a substantial improvement in Waku Kungo, the lack of potable water in the area surrounding the school and church is a major concern.  Many of the students of the school live in the neighborhood around the school and church building.  There is clean municipal water about a mile away, but most people use the more questionable water that is available in their neighborhood from open wells.

IECA is working to fulfill this need for clean, potable water.  They plan to install a water well station in the courtyard of the school that will distribute drinking water to children and homes in the vicinity.  They will provide this water via an air tank, which distributes water by the use of gravity.  Four public taps for this water will be distributed in an area of about 330 feet from the school.  The School Board is developing a program of health education and caring for water for children and parents (guardians).  The cost for this project is approximately $17,000.

Global Ministries welcomes gifts for this project, to be added to the gifts being raised for it by Second Congregational Church, Rockford, IL.