Nobody suffers more than the community’s seniors in this struggle for water access. More than a fifth of Lusera households are led by older adults supported by Reach One Touch One Ministries. More than half of these seniors have disabilities, and many have orphaned grandchildren to support.

While many community members traveled long distances to collect water for their families each day, seniors in the community often could not make these trips. The lack of a readily accessible water source in Lusera makes it difficult for seniors and their families to obtain water for their daily needs, putting the health of seniors and their young grandchildren at risk.

At the Lusera Village Outreach Centre, ROTOM provides medical care to Lusera’s seniors, as well as financial support, water, and food. However, the centre struggled from the same water scarcity as the rest of the community – a major hindrance to providing medical support, since the centre’s staff rarely had the water they needed to maintain sanitation and keep themselves and their patients safe.

All this began to change in February 2024, with the opening of the Outreach Centre’s new safe water system. With safe water access, the staff at the ROTOM Outreach Centre have the clean water they need to provide safe and effective medical care to the Lusera community.

In addition, more than two thousand people in the community now have a reliable safe water source. Lusera’s seniors, many of whom were unable to make the long daily trips for water, finally have a reliable water source nearby for them and their families. Finally, a safe alternative in the community means community members can stop relying on unprotected sources, reducing the risk of waterborne diseases for Lusera families.