Just over a year ago, I had the opportunity to address the Rotary Club of Gibsonsin Canada about something very close to my heart—the impact water poverty has on children. Today, the MEC of Social Development echoed those same sentiments: water challenges are a daily reality, and they ripple through every part of a child’s life—affecting school attendance, health, growth, and development.
Rev. Anneli Mey, quoting Rev. James Ford and speaking about accountability, shared these powerful words:
“Nobody gets to heaven without a letter of reference from the poor.”
Our work in this community began simply—as a mission through a weaving class, and as a prayer that somehow it might grow into something that could make a real difference.
A prayer set in motion.
Today, in Amandawe, that prayer rolled forward.
With the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, the MEC of Social Development, Rolling Water Foundation Canada, The Dillon Trust, Scottburgh Methodist Church, Okwendalo Organization, the KwaCele Traditional Authority, and members of the community all standing together, the first EcoRollers were launched.
Twenty-five EcoRollers were distributed—and these rollers do more than carry water. They carry hope, health, and the possibility of a brighter future.
One gogo, with tears in her eyes, was overwhelmed to receive hers. She kept saying we had no idea what it meant to her—no idea—repeating it through tears of joy.
Moments like that remind us why this work matters.
I am deeply grateful for how far we’ve come, and humbled by where this journey is leading.
—-Submitted by Iris Canham, The Dillon Trust
