How a family vacation ending up saving and improving thousands of lives.

When Dr. Barker and his wife Heidi were looking for a family trip recently, they decided to do something a little less conventional. Having already donated a Village Drill rig to Kenya which has helped thousands of school kids get clean water, they decided to go on a WHOlives expedition, "We were looking for an experience that could show our children a different perspective on life and demonstrate the simplicity in which a vast majority of the world’s population lives."

Dr. Barker, an orthopedic surgeon in Everett Washington, spent two years living in Zimbabwe and South Africa as a missionary in the mid-eighties and is well aware of the stark contrast between the quality of life for most Americans and those who live in developing areas of the world and wanted his children to have a similar experience.

The Barkers took their 3 children with them,  Max 16, Gretchen 14 and Sofia 8 and family friend Steven19.

 When asked about some of the highlights from their trip Dr. Barker mentioned, "Just seeing the women draw dirty water from watering holes shared by wild animals, to having an opportunity to spend one-on-one time with orphaned elephants at a refuge park." In all, the Barkers and their children had a once in a lifetime experience that instilled in them a deeper gratitude and greater empathy for those living in poverty.

WHOlives is grateful that the world still has people like Barkers who are selfless and conscientious, and whose generosity has brought clean water, improved health and new opportunity to several thousand people and counting. 

Clean water brought to over 15,000 people!

Meet Terri Greenly, Cofounder of Water4

As co-owners of Pumps of Oklahoma, Terri and her husband Richard were in the water business long before starting a nonprofit. Originally they did charitable water projects on their own, they never expecting to start Water4.  In 2005 Richard had an opportunity to travel to China and install a solar pump for a community in need. Following this formative experience Richard and Terri decided they needed to work towards solving the world water crisis.

            
Terri believes in helping others the same way she would want to be helped. Instead of swooping in solving other’s problems she believes in empowering others. She believes that mentoring, teaching, and helping people discover their own solutions, is the best way to assist those in need. Terri, and Water4 are working on finding long-term solutions to long-term issues that the world is facing.

            

Terri knows firsthand what water can do. Her great grandmother drew a 160-acre plot of land in the Oklahoma land-run, that had no water source. Her great grandmother was able to drill a well and go from scraping by to thriving. Terri remembers using her great grandmother’s hand pump as a child, and how difficult it was to use. This experience caused her to realize that their revolutionary Water4 pumps must be child friendly, in order to benefit the entire community. 

Using the Village Drill, we at WHOlives.org have been able to install 15 wells using the water4 pump system, bringing clean water to over 15,000 people. 

Water4 believes in using whatever talents people desire to share. They have a musical ambassador who serenades people for fundraising, and a FedEx worker who joined on and helps with their shipping. If you think you have a talent to add to Water4 check out what they have going on at water4.org.