More than 90,000 people are impacted after flash flooding and a 5.2-magnitude seismic event struck communities in Nepal on August 26.

Some are trapped in remote locations. Some are still searching for missing family members. Officials are working to recover the bodies of those who lost their lives and were swept downstream. 

The disaster’s death toll is now at 903 confirmed deaths. The number of people reported missing continues to rise; Nepal’s disaster agency has listed the names of 4,247 missing people.

Thankfully, more than 10,000 people have been rescued, but the situation remains volatile. Additional rains in the forecast could bring more devastation. 

With every day that passes, the chances of finding survivors grow more remote. As many as 500 workers may still be trapped in a dozen hydropower project tunnels. The workers called for help during the initial flooding, said The Associated Press. Six days later, they could be running out of oxygen. Every hour is critical for rescue efforts across the region.

Joel A’Bell, National Director of Convoy of Hope in Australia and New Zealand, said that prayers are urgently needed. 

“We’re asking people to pray for those who have lost loved ones, for those still missing, for rescue teams, local churches and communities facing the devastation of this disaster,” he said. 

“Convoy of Hope is distributing essentials for immediate relief — blankets, sheltering supplies, shelf-stable food, and fortified milk for children. Through these practical items, hope is reaching these hurting communities.”

To find out more about Convoy of Hope’s relief efforts, go to convoyofhope.org.au

Convoy of Hope is a faith-based, humanitarian organisation that delivers hope where it’s needed most.

Feature image: Supplied (Convoy of Hope)

A 5.2 magnitude landslide, paired with flash flooding, has devastated communities in the region.

The fast-moving mud, debris and floodwaters wiped out entire communities in moments, catching both local families and travelers off guard.  The death toll has risen to more than 350 people, with thousands still missing – including at least 39 Australians and 5 Kiwis.

Convoy of Hope and other Australian charities and churches are asking for urgent prayer for the situation.

“We’re calling on people to pray for everyone in Nepal, Australia and around the world whose loved ones are missing or have passed away – and for relief efforts,” said Joel A’Bell, National Director of Convoy of Hope in Australia.

“Convoy of Hope is responding through local partners to the disaster – delivering life-giving food kits to families, along with fortified milk to help sustain children.”

The full scope of the damage is still being assessed, but there are reports that more than 150 local churches have also been swept away.

“Roadways are too flooded for many survivors to evacuate. Rescue helicopters are working to save those they can find while some people wait at higher ground or grasp onto tree branches,” said A’Bell.

“We’re asking people to pray for those who have lost loved ones, for those still missing, for rescue teams, local churches and communities facing the devastation of this disaster,” he said.

To find out more about Convoy of Hope’s relief efforts, go to convoyofhope.org.au

Convoy of Hope is a faith-based, humanitarian organisation that delivers hope where it’s needed most.

Feature image: Canva

Imagine walking for 7 hours each day in the scorching heat just to collect water.

My own two children are grown up now, but I’m constantly reminded of just how beautifully chaotic, exhausting, and all-consuming those early years of parenting are when spending time with our grandkids

These days, my wife and I get the joy of being Ma and Pa to our daughter’s two-year-old son and twin baby daughters. Whenever I visit them, my heart is reminded of how fragile, precious, and completely dependent little children are on us to keep them safe.

Each morning, I watch Harmony in the kitchen making her girls’ bottles or filling up her son’s drink bottle. She turns the tap on, water flows instantly, and she fills the kettle or drink bottle and moves on to the next task.

Which is why when I went to Tanzania, the different reality for mothers hit home.

Thinking back on my trip…

Visiting a school in the region of Simanjiro, I’m surrounded by dry, dusty earth under a blazing sun. And as a grandfather, my heart is heavy with a contrast that I just can’t shake.

[Photo of Joel A’Bell in Simanjiro, Tanzania with two yellow jerry cans] 

Here I’m holding two yellow jerry cans.  The type you might find in your local Bunnings. Empty, they weigh next to nothing. But filled up? They hold 20 litres of water each. That’s about 20 kilos I’m holding in each hand. 

As a grown man, I can lift these. But imagine a young mother or girl, maybe the same age as your daughter or granddaughter, carrying that crushing weight. 

Worse yet, imagine the distance she must walk each day to bring water home for her family. 

I met a mother named Nangida who walks ten kilometres twice a day to the nearest source of water.  The journey is hard, with a baby on her back and a toddler whose little legs can’t keep up.  She relies on her eight-year-old daughter Sophie to help, feeling guilty that she misses school because of it.  

[Nangida (above) walks ten kilometres twice a day with her children to collect water.] 

Think about that for a moment. To get enough water just to survive, Nangida and her children are walking up to 7 hours a day in the scorching heat. To get water that they need to survive, but that could also make them sick. 

The community here is incredibly resilient. Like my daughter, Nangida has dreams for her children’s future. 

Harmony wants her children to learn, play and grow. The families here want the exact same thing. They don’t want handouts; they simply want access to water so they drink, cook food and grow crops for themselves. They want their daughters to stay in the classroom, not walk half the day for water that isn’t even safe to drink. 

It feels overwhelming, doesn’t it? But the solution is simple. 

When a community gets access to clean water right where they live, the cycle of poverty breaks instantly: 

• Young girls can drop the heavy jerry cans and stay in school to get an education. 

• Children no longer get sick or die from water filled with bacteria and parasites. 

• Families can start farming, planting crops, and generating an income. 

Let’s use what we have been given to give these children the future they deserve. You can donate here.

Article supplied with thanks to Convoy of Hope

National Director, Convoy of Hope Australia and New Zealand

Feature image: Supplied

How having access to clean, safe water changed Kikama’s whole future.

Eleven-year-old Kikama lives in a remote village in Longido, Tanzania. She is bright, full of life, and dreams of one day becoming a doctor so she can help people suffering from sickness and disease. But from the young age of seven, Kikama’s dreams were sidelined by a heavy jerrycan. 

Instead of sitting in a classroom, Kikama’s days were consumed by walking for hours along rocky paths to collect water from the forest for her family. To make matters worse, the only water she found was shared with wild animals and contaminated with bacteria and parasites. 

“The water that we were going to collect in the forest was not safe to drink because wild animals were drinking the same water, the livestock were drinking the same water, at the same place. People were bathing there, washing right there. So the water was not clean,” she recalls. 

The unsafe water meant Kikama constantly missed school, and watched her friends and family repeatedly fall ill. Even when food was available, the dirty water robbed children’s bodies of critical nutrients, threatening their health and stalling precious potential.  

“It led to diseases like cholera, dysentery, and people were getting sick because of that water. It was not clean at all,” she says tearfully. 

The Day Kikama’s Life Changed 

Kikama’s life changed when Convoy of Hope came to her community. Partnering with local leadership and experts, Convoy started with drilling boreholes and setting up water pumps, towers, pipelines, and taps – bringing a reliable source of safe water right to Kikama’s school in the heart of the community. 

Image: Kikama and friends using the new hand-washing station at school.

With fresh water available at school, everything transformed. Convoy provided agricultural training for local farmers – and helped set up a flourishing vegetable garden and tomato greenhouses at the school. It provides healthy food for school lunches, and also generates income that will help the community maintain the water pumps for years to come. 

Kikama no longer has to choose between an education and survival. Today, she can pour her energy into studying to become a doctor. As she joyfully puts it: “Everything is going so, so well after getting water.” 

“Our life has changed a lot after getting water at school… we are getting water for cooking, at school we’re getting food. We’re getting water for washing our clothes, for cleaning, doing all the hygienic activities at school.” 

Image: Children Washing Produce Grown with Water.

With water, Kikama’s school now grows fresh vegetables and tomatoes which helps her and her friends stay healthy.

You Can Give a Child Safe Water  

Joel A’Bell, National Director of Convoy of Hope Australia and New Zealand, says that access to safe water does so much more than quench thirst. It shatters the cycle of poverty and unlocks health, dignity, and opportunity for entire villages. 

“The harsh reality is that 1 in 4 people globally still lack access to safe drinking water. For young girls like Kikama, this crisis turns daily life into a struggle and stops them from attending school,” he explains. 

Through a simple act of generosity, you can help transform the life of a child like Kikama.

Every dollar multiplies hope, one drop at a time: 

You can give a child like Kikama a life-giving gift of safe water here.

*Statistic provided by the World Health Organisation.

Article supplied with thanks to Convoy of Hope

Mariska Meldrum, Water for Life Day Campaign Manager 

Feature image: Supplied

Why every child deserves clean access to water.

The morning before I flew to Tanzania started like so many others. 

My two boys woke up full of energy, ready to play. I packed their school lunches and filled their drink bottles without giving it a second thought. 

A few days later, after a long journey, I arrived in a village in Tanzania. 

I was expecting heat and dust. But nothing could have prepared my mother’s heart for the stark reality of thirst. 

In the village we visited, water wasn’t just scarce- it was incredibly difficult to access. 

Everywhere I looked, I saw evidence of it. But what struck me most wasn’t the dry landscape…

It was the children. 

As a mum of two boys, I found myself constantly comparing the children I met with my own sons back home. They laughed, played and joked with each other just like my boys do. Childhood looked familiar. 

One thing, however, stood out. 

Many of the children carried a plastic cup everywhere they went. Some held it tightly in their hands. Others had it tied to their clothing so they wouldn’t lose it. At first, I didn’t understand why. 

Then I realised. The cup wasn’t the problem. The missing thing was water. 

I noticed many of the children seemed tired. Compared to my own primary-school-aged boys, they didn’t have the same energy. Yet they still found ways to play. I watched them play soccer on a dusty field using a ball made from strips of fabric. Their joy and resilience were remarkable. 

The memory of one child in particular stayed with me. 

His name is Jonathan. He’s 11 years old, quiet and softly spoken, with kind eyes that reminded me so much of my eldest son. 

Jonathan lives in a village in Simanjiro, Tanzania. 

When I asked Jonathan about his life, he told me that water is one of his family’s greatest challenges. 

His mother collects water for their family. The journey begins around seven o’clock in the morning and can take hours. Sometimes they come face-to-face with elephants along the way.  

When I asked Jonathan whether he drinks water every day, his answer stopped me in my tracks. 

“I don’t drink water every day. There are days that I don’t drink water and some I do.” 

He explained that they go without water three times a week. 

As a parent, I couldn’t imagine telling my children they couldn’t have a drink of water when they were thirsty. Yet for Jonathan, this is normal. 

Despite the challenges he faces, Jonathan still dreams about the future. He wants to become a doctor so he can help people. 

When I asked him how he would feel if water was available at school, his face lit up. 

“I would feel so good. Because we have water to drink.” 

Meeting Jonathan reminded me that children everywhere are remarkably alike. They want to play. They want to learn. They dream about their futures. 

The difference isn’t their potential. 

It’s access to something many of us never have to think about. Safe water. 

As I left the village, I couldn’t stop thinking about my own boys. Every day they turn on a tap without a second thought. Every day they run, play and learn with water readily available. 

Jonathan deserves that same opportunity. And so do the children in his village. 

When I came home, I sat down with my boys and told them about Jonathan. Like most primary-aged kids, their first ideas were simple and sweet. “Can we just buy them lots of water?” one of them asked. It opened up a beautiful conversation about what really helps. 

We talked about how buying bottled water might help for a short time but wouldn’t change things long-term. Then we spoke about something bigger, like how helping to dig a well, teaching the community how to care for it, would create a lasting source of clean water. 

Their eyes lit up. 

When I explained that it costs $25 to give someone safe water for life, our boys were eager to be part of it. Recently, my youngest had a birthday and received some money. We’ve been teaching our boys to spend some, save some, and give some- and without hesitation, he chose to give part of his money to help a child like Jonathan. 

For our family, a profound lesson in gratitude started with a boy carrying a cup, and a simple reminder of how much we have, and how easily we can share it.  

As mums, we constantly look for ways to raise kind, empathetic children.

By giving a gift, you aren’t just filling an empty cup, you’re unlocking a child’s health, education, and future. To find out more about how you can make a difference, visit here.

Article supplied with thanks to Convoy of Hope

Michelle McAndrews, Communications Director, Convoy of Hope Australia & New Zealand

Feature image: Supplied