Location: Taingi Saidan, part of Charasyab District of the Province of Kabul

Population: 30,000 people in central village and surrounding area

Support from Water Missions International is helping bring access to basic healthcare and the healing touch of God's people to the children and families of Taingi Saidan.

A destroyed tank once belonging to Al Qaeda forces lies only a hundred yards away from a new symbol of hope for the people of Afghanistan. Thanks in part to a Living Water™ Treatment System from Water Missions International, the village of Taingi Saidan, located outside the city of Kabul, are celebrating a miracle of sorts. International Aid, in collaboration with Water Missions International, has equipped and opened a medical clinic in an area that hasn't seen medical care in at least a generation.

In a region where many suffer from respiratory infections, parasitisms, malnutrition, skin malaria and leashmaniasis, the Water Treatment System will play a critical role in providing safe drinking water and proper medical care.

The Challenge

The current conflict in Afghanistan is a tangible expression of the spiritual warfare that has visibly gripped this corner of the globe. Famine, drought, harsh Islamic rule and two decades of war have isolated the people of Afghanistan from basic healthcare and the spiritual truth of the Gospel.

The results of political and spiritual oppression are acutely reflected in the village of Taingi Saidan, near the city of Kabul. The central village has approximately 500 people, but the village itself serves a total of 30,000 people from surrounding villages. Houses are made of crude bricks and mud, with no running water or electricity. Dugout holes serve as common toilets, and improper sanitation creates seedbeds of sickness. Mosquitoes and sand flies infest the area and are common vehicles for disease. It has been nearly 20 years since healthcare services were provided in the village and surrounding area. Due to lack of resources, many of the local doctors and medical personnel have gone years without practicing their skills.

The needs are great, yet in this uncompromising land live a people who are made in God's image, who suffer without access to even the most basic necessities for life, and who International Aid is committed to serve.

In solidarity with International Aid, the local government personally supervised the digging of the well at the Taingi Saidan clinic, providing professional equipment to drill deep through the rocky soil.

International Aid's Response

In the fall of 2001, this ministry launched a comprehensive response to the needs of the Afghan people that has transitioned from disaster relief to long-term development. Ministry efforts have included community mobilization, medical training and the provision of medicines and supplies, as well as refurbishing and equipping the medical clinic in the village of Taingi Saidan, an area targeted by local officials as one of great need.

To date, International Aid has moved forward to:

• Provide shipments of medicines, medical equipment and supplies.
• Send medical teams to train and re-train local doctors who have been unable to use their skills due to lack of resources and supplies.
• Initiate the digging of a well and deliver and assemble the Living Water Filtration System to provide potable water.
• Establish goodwill with national and community leaders and be Christ's ambassadors by conducting activities and living lives that reflect Christian values.

International Aid medical volunteers have provided medical supplies and training in family medicine to local physicians who will serve the clinic. Volunteer medical teams are scheduled to return in October 2002 and January and April 2003 to continue the training.

The Living Water™ Treatment System was assembled on a newly built platform adjacent to the Taingi Saidan clinic. One filtered output was plumbed through the wall into the clinic lab area. The clinic was already plumbed with three sinks and a toilet, with a reservoir in the roof for supply. Water will be routed to the reservoir and filter unit via piping from the well. The system will supply the lab area, and villagers will be able to access filtered water from the tanks on the outside. Due to cold climate in the winter, the local community will build a structure around the unit to keep it from freezing. The secured structure will be locked to protect the unit from theft or vandalism.

Taingi Saidan Medical Clinic

The clinic opened its doors to the community in July 2002. Those attending the opening ceremonies were the Minister of Health, village elders and community leaders who have committed their full support to the sustainability of the clinic. The local government has been so impacted by this work, it has extended an invitation to International Aid to be involved on a long-term basis.

Looking Ahead

Committed to bringing healthcare and hope to the people of Afghanistan, International Aid plans over the course of the next year to:

• Send medical teams to train local physicians and treat patients in the community.
• Provide medicines, medical equipment and supplies, including Health and Activity Kits.
• Help establish community health organizations and set up village health committees.
• Train health workers, primarily local women, in healthcare practices.

On behalf of those we are serving together, thank you.

International Aid's mission in Afghanistan, as it is across the globe, is to provide and support solutions in healthcare as a means to share the gospel message. Thank you for your partnership in making this life-changing work possible.