ROCKWALL, TX — The Bucket Ministry, a nonprofit committed to sharing God’s love through the gift of clean water, today marked the completion of a five-year effort to provide generational access to safe drinking water and the love of Jesus to every resident living in Kibera, a slum located outside Nairobi, Kenya.

Through the efforts of 100 local Kenyan missionaries, the majority (98%) of whom live in Kibera, The Bucket Ministry distributed 81,777 Sawyer© PointONE filters connected to buckets, providing all 408,478 Kibera residents with access to clean water. The missionaries subsequently conducted three in-home, follow-up visits with each recipient, ensuring water filters were properly maintained and building relationships to share a Gospel message and disciple individuals.

According to The Bucket Ministry’s proprietary Mission Mapping system, over the past five years, the local missionary team shared the Gospel 500,000-plus times, experienced 21,000 professions of faith and conducted 1,400 baptisms in Kibera.

“Today is a celebration of hope given to more than 400,000 individuals living in Kibera,” said Christopher Beth, founder, chief storyteller and director of The Bucket Ministry. “Our team of missionaries answered God’s call to serve their neighbors and because of that lives have been changed both physically and spiritually. I’m in awe of how God continues to use ordinary people for His rescue mission.”

Kibera, located in Nairobi, Kenya, is characterized by poverty, overcrowding and inadequate access to basic services. The slum has no running water, no permanent electricity, no social services and only 78 public latrines. Kibera’s residents living among open sewers and piles of garbage are highly susceptible to health hazards, many of which can lead to death.

The Sawyer© point-of-use filters distributed by The Bucket Ministry provide up to 20-plus years of clean, safe, drinking water. A recent Hope College research study confirmed the filters are extremely effective in reducing levels of E. coli and total coliform bacteria in drinking water by up to 99%, greatly lessening diarrheal disease. After approximately 70 days of filter use, self-reported diarrhea rates dropped from 52.7% to 2.2%.

Both residents and local Elders in Kibera attest to the physical impact access to clean water has had in the slum, including local health clinics closing due to decreased visits, children’s ability to attend school and an overall increased level of happiness.

“Diarrheal disease is preventable and yet it remains the third leading cause of death in children under 5 years old,” said Beth. “While those of us living in the developed world rarely think about the safety of our water, it is a life-or-death reality in places like Kibera.”

The majority of the Kibera local missionary team are now preparing to begin filter distribution in the neighboring slum of Kawangware. The Bucket Ministry is actively assessing the slum and estimates that over 700,000 individuals live in Kawangware. Water filter distributions will begin in January 2025.

“Our mission is for everyone in the world to have access to clean water and the life-giving news of the Gospel of Jesus,” said Beth. “We are committed to seeing this mission to completion.”

Editor’s Note: For interviews, photos or video assets, contact Kristin U. Cole at kristin@kccommunications.co.

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