Ursalina has lived in the community of Casa Blanca since she was a child, and her five children were also born there. For many years, her family had no access to clean water at home. Because of this, they had to walk about 400 meters to the river to get water and dig small holes to collect it. They went to the river twice a day, and each time they had to make several trips all the while carrying 20-liter buckets of water back to their home.
This contaminated water that was collected from the river was used for everything: cooking, washing, and drinking. As a result, the family frequently suffered from illnesses related to contaminated water, such as vomiting and diarrhea. Carrying water was physically demanding, and it became even harder when someone in the family was sick.
Ursalina herself has suffered with kidney related problems for years and knew that this water was not safe for her to drink, but she didnāt have any other options for water.
Today, of her five children, only one still lives with her at home, so the household is now made up mainly of Ursalina and her husband, Jose.
Despite the hardships that they have faced, she held on to a strong faith in God, trusting that things would get better and that God would protect them through whatever situation presented itself in their lives.
Today, Ursalina has water right in her home. She no longer suffers from the illnesses caused by the contaminated river water, and she considers health to be the biggest change her family has experienced because of the project.
When she learned that the water system would be built, she felt great joy and decided to get involved in the project herself. She went in person twice a week to dig in the trench where water lines would be laid. This work was a sacrifice, especially since she has struggled with high creatinine, a kidney condition, for seven years, but she says God gave her the strength to do it. She never doubted that the project would work and that they would soon have clean running water in Casa Blanca.
Now that they no longer spend time and effort fetching water from the river, Ursalina and her family have more time to attend to their medical needs and to rest and spend time together as a family. She sums up the change with words like improvement, happiness, faith, and blessings from God, and says, “when the plans are God’s, everything turns out well.”
