TECUMSEH — Living Water Mission, a local nonprofit organization that drills water wells in rural Kenya, is gearing up for one of its biggest fundraisers of the year. 

The Kenya Dig It 5K Fun Run/Walk will take place at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, July 2, at Carter Rehabilitation and Aquatic Center, 902 Industrial Drive in Tecumseh.  

Participants receive a handmade gift from Kenya and a T-shirt.

"People come out because of the cause. It’s not like a race where people are coming out and competing but it’s really a lot of fun. It’s a good time, and it’s so life-changing,” Living Water Mission member Tom Hawkins said. “It’s just so hard for us to understand the difference clean water makes in the lives of people, especially young girls because young girls are the ones who are tasked to stay at home. They can’t go to school, and they have to fetch the water at least three times a day — morning, noon and night.” 

Young girls often travel up to a mile and a half one way to fetch the water and often uphill because the water settles in valleys for the most part. Many times, there are animals in the water holes they get the water from and it becomes dangerous for them to travel to and from the water holes at night as sometimes dangerous people lie in wait. 

Living Water Mission was started in 2009 and it has provided clean water to thousands of people. The majority of the funds that it raises comes from local people. 

A typical well costs about $15,000, depending on the size of the solar array needed to power the system, said Hawkins, who also is Raisin Township's supervisor.

"The last one we drilled we went 750 feet deep. We ended up putting in a full solar array. We ended up putting in a 27-foot tower and water tank with a 5,000-liter tank on the top. At the end, that deal was about $30,000,” Hawkins said. “But they don’t have to worry about an electric bill. They can run water throughout the compound, which is a school. It all depends.

"It’s the same thing here in America, you know, how deep do you go? What kind of system are you installing?” 

The electric power can also be used for other things when it’s not being used for water delivery. 

“What’s nice is when we set up a solar array they can also, when they’re not using that for public water, they can use it for places around the school and whatnot, which is really cool, because they don’t have any electric out there. They don’t have any electric, no sewer, no gas, nothing. It’s just nothing,” Hawkins said.  

Hawkins has in a way adopted a granddaughter in Kenya, Consolata, 16. He cannot actually adopt the child because the adoption laws in Kenya make it almost impossible to adopt children to the U.S. When she turns 18 years old, he hopes to bring her over on a student visa. Consolata was an HIV baby but thankfully did not test positive several years ago. No one knows what her last name is because her parents deserted her, but she benefited from a clean water project by Living Water Mission. 

The project also has a food program associated with it, because the people are in such dire need of everything, including food.  

“We found this out from day one when we went to Kenya, that food is always a good part of the program as well,” Hawkins said. “So people can buy chicken or livestock or a lamb or a cow or something like that because people need food too where we go.” 

The cost to participate in the Kenya Dig It 5K Fun Run/Walk is $30 until July 1 and $35 for late and day-of registration. Register by going to living-water-mission.org or by calling 517-423-3676. 

Living Water Mission uses all proceeds from the Kenya Dig It event to drill water wells for the people of rural Kenya.