OUR STORY

In memory of their daughter, Elizabeth-Ann, who died in 1990 aged 16, Julie and Michael Davies raised funds to build a well in India. Leading up to her death she had been planning to join a school trip to India where her family have strong connections.

They worked with ‘Save the Children Fund’ and identified the site for the well in the small village of Burlavaripalem in Andhra Pradesh, South India. The well was completed in 1991 and supplied the village with clean drinking water. This was the beginning when there was no other source of drinking water in the village. The water level is only about 25 feet below the ground so a simple bucket and rope allowed access to water. (More recently a bore hole and water treatment plant have been built providing clean water for the village and some for sale outside.)

The Story Continues…

In 2000 Elizabeth-Ann’s brother, Peter, visited the village briefly.
In 2001 Julie and Peter visited the village together. When Julie left she gave her email address to Mary, the Church Pastor, with a request that if there were any problems with the well then they were to let her know.
A year after returning home she received an email saying that the Well required repairs costing £80, a sum that the Villagers were unable to raise. Michael and Julie sent out the money and within 10 days we received back photos of the repairs being carried out. Additionally she sent £40 to help with £1 gifts to the needy widows.
Julie then asked as to what other needs there were within the village – the response was – 100 Toilets at £74 each and a £1 per month ‘pension’ for some needy elderly widows/widowers.
So Julie set off in her car and managed to collect £74 in a car-boot sale – at that rate it was going to take 100 years to supply all the toilets!
Julie did some bring & buy sales, gave some talks and invited people to donate gifts at Christmas to the Village.  The money that was raised went to:

• building 40 toilets of breeze block construction, Indian style, squat, with waste material piped to a cess pit, which is emptied every 4-5 years.
• giving regular support to some of the elderly
• helping some children with their basic school needs
• supporting Israel a young man through Bible College in Chennai – 200 miles from home.

Julie established The Elizabeth-Ann Charity to provide support for the villagers and help them break the cycle of poverty which has affected them for generations.