By Desiree Hensley

Maynardville residents Amber Hurst and Melanie Hurst travelled to Uganda last November on a mission trip with Hope 4 Kids International. Their itinerary included attending a well dedication ceremony in the remote village of Panyandere to celebrate the opening of one of the wells funded by Walk for Water Union County in 2025.

The new Panyandere well serves five villages and about 5,000 people. The Hursts visited the original water source that was an open pond filled with algae, insects, and frogs, and shared with livestock. The villagers did not realize that their illnesses and deaths were caused by the contaminated water until receiving sanitation and hygiene education from the Hope 4 Kids International team. Villagers held the belief that the diseases were the result of curses put on them by witchdoctors. The Hope 4 Kids team also brings the gospel message to each village.

The Hursts celebrated the new well opening with local villagers including Sophia, a 120 year old woman that helped her father dig the original water source that was used until receiving the gift of the well from the generous donations from the people of Union County. Festivities included speeches from local village elders, dance performances by local children, live music played on primitive instruments, and a presentation of gifts of home made cakes, chickens, rabbits, pigeons, a goat, mangoes, avocados, nuts, and jackfruit from the villagers to the Hursts.

Walk 4 Water Union County’s Fourth Annual fundraiser will be held on Saturday, May 16, 2026 at 10am at Union County Farmers Market at Heritage Park in Maynardville.  The walk route is from Heritage Park around Union County High School and back to the Farmers Market.

The event will be a family fun celebration of all the blessings we have in Union County.   There will be face painting and balloon twists for the kids, live bluegrass music, line dancing, Polynesian Dancers, and the wonderful Union County Farmers Market vendors to shop. Food trucks and dessert vendors will be on site at so all can enjoy lunch after the walk.

Walk 4 Water Union County has raised funds for 13 deep water wells to date for remote villages in Uganda that did not have access to clean, safe water. Each well supports thousands of people and will last 30-50 years. This year’s goal is to fund another two wells.

Uganda is one of the poorest nations in the world, and also suffers from the worst water scarcity globally. Millions of people do not have access to clean, safe water. About 50% of Ugandan village children do not survive to the age of six, and 75% of all deaths are due to water-related disease.  The money raised will go to Water 4 Kids International (w4ki.org), a 501C3 that has installed over 1300 deep boreholes in Uganda. Full details can be found on the website w4ki.org/w4wunioncounty, where those wanting to participate can register and donate.  Registered walkers will receive a T-shirt as well as water for the walk.  All are welcome to join the fun, including those unable to walk.