CANORA - Troy and I were approached by Vic Hamer, president of Give Me Water Lord, about drilling a water well in Kenya in memory our late daughter, Shelby Brandon. We have known Vic for many years and we were honoured by this.
We lost our daughter in November 2021. The emptiness and loss is still felt deeply but we take comfort in knowing that her legacy is living on and helping people with projects like this. It was always her dream to travel to Africa and while she didn’t have the chance to go while she was living, her spirit is now with the Kenyan people.
We started fundraising for this project in the spring of 2023. The cost of a water well is approximately $35,000 USD. We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to all of our friends and family who donated financially and prayerfully towards Shelby’s Well.
Vic contacted us at the end of December 2023 to say that a Maasi village had been located and they were preparing to sign the contracts. Vic and GMWL ensure that the water wells that are drilled through them are professionally constructed and the village has to come up with some of the money and follow the rules of the contract to ensure a successful project. This is the sixth well Vic has drilled and the other five are still operational. Vic told us that the plans were moving forward and the well would be completed and operational in February 2024. He invited us to come out to the dedication of Shelby’s Well.
Our trip to Kenya was nothing short of amazing!
I knew that this was going to be an emotional experience but nothing could have prepared us for it.
The Esoit Sampu community in Kajiado County lives at the foot of Esoit Samu Hills in Mashuuru subcounty. This community has never had clean water since independence.
The village where the well or borehole is located is deep into the bush. Once we turned off the highway onto what I would describe as a path into the bush, we drove for approximately one hour. The path was full of stones, branches, washed out areas and long grass. Most of the drive was slow because you didn’t know what may be beneath the tall grass. To be honest, I had no idea how people even find their way to the village, never mind the trucks hauling the equipment there for the well.
Along the way, we would pass people’s houses/shacks. As we could see the well in the distance it became real. I was trying to process the fact that this well was named in honour of our daughter and what I had envisioned did not prepare me for the emotions that were stirring.
The well is drilled within a school and community property so that it remains part of the community and no private person can claim ownership or control it.
As we entered the gates of the school and well site, we could see a lot of people gathered for this well dedication celebration. I planned to get out of the car and look at the tanks and take it all in. But as we got out, the people from the village were singing, dancing and coming towards us. They were all ages from the elders to children and everyone in between. Most of them were dressed in traditional Maasai celebration clothing. We got swallowed up in what I can only describe as a blanket of genuine gratefulness.
The villagers wanted to shake our hands, hug us and thank us for answered prayers! To be honest, I spent the next 30 minutes with tears streaming down my face. It was so overwhelming but in the best way! Most of the people do not speak English but the huge smiles on their faces showed what they were thinking. This is life changing!
We moved towards the pump house so that Vic Hamer with Give Me Water Lord could cut the ribbon. There were prayers from the pastors as well as a short speech from Vic.
The drilling company drilled this well in just over three weeks, which is unheard of there. We know that this can only be by God’s hand. There were a couple other government companies that tried to drill in that area previously and said there is no water there. This was because they never drilled deep enough. This well engineer, Victor, took the time to send the proper equipment down and water was struck at 250 meters! He said that this was the highest producing well out of all the previous wells Vic drilled. It was quite a bit deeper and more expensive but now this village has nothing short of a miracle with clean water! They thank God for an answer to prayers.
We were then ushered to the front of the school building and to the head table where the ceremony began. The schoolchildren performed a few songs and dances, the men danced and sang as well as the women. Then they had Troy join the men’s dance and later on both of us joined in. We were presented with red ceremonial capes and beaded neckwear.
There were speeches and we presented a Shelby’s Well plaque to the teachers. This plaque will hang in the head teacher’s office. She cried tears of joy. She told us that it has been hard for them to keep teachers on site due to the fact that at times of drought, they would have to walk 26km to get water from a mud hole. They also had to fight off poisonous snakes, hyenas, buffalo and baboons because they would guard the water holes. The men would be armed to protect them while the women and children collected water from a water pan that would fill with water during rains.
Next was a celebration meal. A cow was butchered and prepared for us. We gathered around the table where they cut up the meat. The meat was prepared for the guests of honour and special dignitaries. It was accompanied by rice, cabbage, flat bread, beans and mangoes. After we ate, we then had a tour of the school. The school classrooms are in such a bad state. They need to be fixed. The floors are heaving in places and broken up. It is very primitive. Some small classes have two separate grades in the same room with each teacher facing in a different direction.
The people of the village wanted us to make sure to say “Thank you!” to everyone who donated and/or prayed for clean water for their village. They said that they are going to make sure to take care of this well. It is an answer to their prayers!
It started to sprinkle rain for a few minutes after the ceremony, then a beautiful rainbow appeared over the Esoit Sampu hill.
We were privileged and blessed to have been able to travel to Kenya and see Shelby’s Well in operation. Her legacy will keep living on across the world. This is an experience that is going to stay in our hearts forever.
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