There Will Soon Be Water for the Fields

Through the support of Chabo!, the Japanese government and all of you, JEN has set out to construct 40 agricultural wells in Eastern Sri Lanka, and that project is approaching its peak.

The site is a small encampment isolated in the jungle. Over 95% of those living here say that the grave lack of water to farm with is their greatest problem. With that soon to be solved, villagers watch the construction with earnest eyes.

The villagers here know the underground water veins better than anyone, and we follow their advice in deciding where to dig. Even those living too far away to use the well spared no support. Once, for example, a narrow farm road had brought our construction equipment to a dead standstill. A farmer with fields next to that road, who knew he wouldn’t benefit from the well directly, told us to break his fence and pass through his land. A torrent of “thank you”’s and “sorry”’s flooded from our mouths.

  　　
After JEN completes construction of these 40 wells, the residents aim to employ the resulting benefits themselves for the greater good of the region. Together with everyone there, and everyone reading this article, we hope to keep rebuilding so that this entire area can return to the livelihood it once had.