Clean Water Cannot Wait
Today, June 5, marks the global observance of World Environment Day 2026. Following this year’s hashtag #NowForClimate will give glimpses of vital conversations addressing the changes our planet faces. It is an active, unfolding reality that already affects villages in Africa. That’s what makes the work Fahmiyanwi does so urgent: we can bring clean water now.
EcoWatch reported a prediction in the UN publication Drought in Numbers 2022 of what could happen if climate change was not mitigated. “By 2050, drought could affect more than 75 percent of the world’s population.”
In January of 2026, the UN University released “Global Water Bankruptcy” including this statistic: “75%: Humanity in countries classified as water-insecure or critically water-insecure,” only four years after the previous forecast. Water scarcity is increasing more quickly than projected!
It is not just the availability of water that is an issue. Those who forage for water run the risk of severe health issues. The WHO African Region reports that contaminated drinking water is estimated to cause over half a million diarrhoeal deaths each year.
In Cameroon specifically, there is extreme disruption due to deeply rooted conflict which makes sustainable development and aid work exceptionally challenging. Volatile unrest frequently targets local infrastructure. Military raids and guerilla tactics make delivery of clean water infrastructure dangerous to execute. Many NGOs have been forced to leave their work.
Because of Fahmiyanwi’s origin with family and friends in Cameroon, we are better able to function within the crisis because our people live and work within the borders. We already have nearly two-dozen projects completed in the last year-and-a-half that directly affect people who have no options.
Our work in Uganda also faces civil unrest, legislative restrictions, and a recently declared Public Health Emergency of International Concern with an Ebola epidemic. And we are thankful for the local partnerships which have already brought several wells to villages.
World Environment Day reminds us that global climate change conversations reflect current realities for some places around the world. The work we do today is even more crucial for the future—to get sustainable water sources now!
We are simply God’s instrument to reach people in a world facing extreme challenges and uniquely positioned to do so. For those who want to make a global difference at the ground level, we invite your support.
[Video Above: The orphanage in Bangoulap was our first project. These children foraged for water at a stream and a couple of older ones with an adult walked a mile and a half with a cart and a few containers for clean water. This manual fetching of water brings what is used for cooking, cleaning, bathing, and drinking. The cost of this project was only $8,650, and it not only serves the orphanage but the entire village.]
“For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.”
—Romans 11:36 (NLT)
