Spainhour never even thought of going to Africa until he met a man named Moses in seminary. Moses told Spainhour about his people's suffering through years of devastating droughts. Spainhour says the average woman in the tribe has to walk ten miles to get water every day, sometimes twice a day.
"It's dirty water that the animals use or that they wash their clothes in," says Spainhour. It affects their economy and makes them sick. Their infant mortality rate, Spainhour estimates, is at 88 percent.
So Spainhour and his friend Moses decided to do something about it, creating the non-profit organization Staff of Hope.
The organization raises money to buy massive drills that can go 400 feet deep. They cost a quarter of a million dollars but, to the people of Kenya and Tanzania, it is worth it.
Spainhour says one well will bring water to two thousand people for about twenty years.
Staff of Hope is not only providing water, but education and healthcare. They have only been able to accomplish this through fundraising events and donations. Staff of Hope is now attempting their biggest fundraiser yet.
Spainhour hopes we can all realize that while we are having a tough time, there are always others who are in greater need.
He says North Carolinians have no concept of what it's like for those in Africa.
Spainhour said smiling, when they opened the well they saw people running with thankfulness and joy, taking baths and grown men jumping up and down.
A wonderful sight that quenches the soul and makes life just a little bit better for Kenyans and Tanzanians.
If you would like more information go to http://www.staffofhope.org.
