Few charitable organizations have equalled the success of Niagara's Wells of Hope initiative. But, then again, very few can match the charity's concentrated and unwavering dedication to achieving its goals.
Spearheaded back in 2003 by Ted van der Zalm and his wife, Miriam, the Wells of Hope organization began tackling the monumental task of providing fresh, clear water to the most impoverished region of Guatemala. The project was officially launched in 2004.
But the story began long before that when Ted and Miriam met while working on a similar project in Tanzania, Africa. In fact, it was their experience and expertise gained in those efforts that attracted the attention of the Guatemalan people.
In an interview this week, van der Zalm recounted, "A group was sponsored by a local church to come to Canada to Niagara to canvass for finances and support. Our name came up many times due to our experiences in Tanzania, Africa. They called us and asked to have a meeting and asked us to do the same for them as we’d done in Africa."
He said the first step was to learn firsthand what the needs were. "We packed our four children into a pick-up truck and drove to Guatemala and lived in a tent for six months. Every two weeks we moved to a different village to talk to the poor to find out what their needs were. And every place we went to, the answer was the same - water, water, water."
The ThoroldNews first learned of the efforts, still in infancy stages, in 2003 when van der Zalm was collecting pennies at local Catholic schools as he travelled throughout Niagara with his 'House of Hope' trailer in tow.
An interview then revealed that the pennies were to be used to build schools in Guatemala. Building schools and clinics became a secondary goal of the Wells of Hope organization.
"The needs of the poor are huge. The pennies were our way of showing that we could move mountains. A penny isn’t much but collectively many pennies together make dollars and can make a difference. Elementary kids brought pennies to the House of Hope. And with that money we began the Wells of Hope," van der Zalm explained.
Now, the project has been in operation for 16 years and has grown into a huge undertaking marked by trials and difficulties but also unprecedented success.
Each year, the van der Zalms and a team of volunteers return to Guatemala between January and May.
To date, the project has completed 25 working wells and provided water to more than 77,000 people in the mountains above Jalapa, Guatemala.
And, they have built 23 schools or 68 classrooms and 50 washrooms to provide 4,500 children in primary schools with adequate facilities for learning.
"Without water, there is no life. But aid without education doesn't work, either," van der Zalm said, explaining the school project portion of their efforts. "We are very focused on supporting the local school system by building reliable education facilities."
The organization is motivated by its deep Christian faith but their goal is focused strictly on reducing malnutrition, improving education and providing medical help to the impoverished region.
"The last thing they need is more churches," said van der Zalm.
In the beginning, the group was often met with skepticism.
"It’s been a long haul; we’ve paid the price among an uneducated populace," said van der Zalm. "We were being accused of being there to front for a mining company, or spreading our religion - but we just wanted to help. It was tough. Now we have a good reputation. We’ve earned the trust of the Indigenous community and they do whatever they can to help us."
In fact, he revealed, "We’re blessed and honoured; the Mayor of Jalapa brought us in and presented us with a plaque announcing us as Distinguished Friends of the Jalapa Region."
Scott Maxwell, who has been with the volunteer project from the beginning and is its chair, is charged with fundraising and the day-to-day operation of the Wells of Hope.
He said, "After 16 years, we're a better organization. We're better at our own governance and meeting our own needs as well as the needs of the people of Guatemala."
Drilling in the mountainous region above Jalapa is an ardous task. Hard volcanic rock and the need for deep wells - often reaching between 7-900 feet and sometimes exceeding 1,000 feet - provide a huge physical and monetary challenge. The need for much larger and more expensive drilling rigs has grown.
Maxwell explained that the organization must raise between $500,000 and $850,000 each and every year to achieve its goals.
"Of course, the drilling expense is the biggest, but we're investing in medical clinics and schools each year," he said.
With Ted and Miriam on the ground in Guatemala each year there are often new requests for help and they are taken seriously and tackled, if possible.
"The people tell us what they need. They bring requests to us from individuals or school committees. We investigate within the communities and speak to trusted people in the mountains to ensure the needs are legitimate. For example, we have helped widowed and abandoned women who have no place to live with their children. We will build a house for them, after investigating the story they tell us is true. And the same with the school improvements," said van der Zalm.
Maxwell explained further, "The need determines what gets done next. Ted and Marian have the power to decide as things arise in the field. Ultimately, the help depends on funding. We help those who we can and we keep moving forward. What we do is limited by donations we receive. One hundred per cent is done by donations. The more we have, the more we can do, is the bottom line."
"Every year we’ve exhausted whatever funds we’ve raised through the numerous volunteers who help us here in the Niagara Region," van der Zalm pointed out.
Maxwell noted the organization currently has about 50 volunteers in Niagara to help with the fundraising, and with expanding efforts, more are needed.
Since its inception, the project has included a mission component that allows Niagara students to visit the camp and understand the plight of the third-world people.
"About 150 students have visited the camp for a mission experience," said Maxwell. "While there, they will help with school and clinic construction or painting and learn alongside villagers."
He outlined some new initiatives they are very excited to tackle.
"For the first time in the history of Guatemala, Indigenous people donated land and The Wells of hope built a clinic there. The ministry of health will be running the clinic so for the first time three different agencies came together to meet the needs of the aboriginal people in the mountains," he said. "I believe it’s because we were a part of the three factions coming together that brought a new level of trust to make this happen."
The Wells are also involved in empowering women. They run a sewing skills program which provides a diploma to graduates.
"We help them find work. They’re creating their own jobs. Back home, we collect good used sewing machines and, this year, each was able to take one home after course completion," van der Zalm revealed.
Maxwell added, "We also started a greenhouse program where women are trained in its operation. They take the plants from seed to seedling and they are able to sell them. And they become trained in greenhouse operations through a co-op program which trains them how to start their own operation."
Van der Zalm noted, "With their climate they can grow 12 months a year. They could help feed the rest of the world but the infrastructure isn't there. But now they have water at their front door and every family can have a garden, which will hopefully be a big move to removing malnourishment."
He pointed out, "Statistics just came out showing 52 per cent of Guatemalan children are malnourished. By comparison, Haiti, which gets more attention, has a malnourishment rate of about 24 per cent in its children."
With the new wells and greenhouses, the group is confident there will be a move away from corn as the only staple, to include tomatoes, peppers and beans.
"Corn is still the staple but it requires a lot of land so changing a culture doesn’t happen overnight, but we’re introducing different nutrition to the people where they eat a variety of vegetables instead of just corn. And the medical clinic can introduce nutrition courses," van der Zalm explained.
Both Maxwell and van der Zalm agreed there is no plan to slow down their efforts in the near future.
And so the fundraising continues, mostly through three key initiatives. The first is an annual golf tournament, which runs next Saturday, July 6. The second is a Taste and See fundraiser, a food and wine tasting gala, and the third is The Passion event which celebrates home grown Niagara food and beverages.
Right now the group is focused on the golf tournament and Maxwell noted, "We try not to impact the fundraising of other groups but it is difficult and we're finding it harder each year to get golfers to participate."
If you would like to participate, donate, or learn more, contact the Wells of Hope at: [email protected]
For more information visit the website.
