Editor’s note: Reporter Donahey is a board member of the WellSpringsMission.

Peace, freedom from hunger, and clean water do not come easy to South Sudan, the world’s newest country.

South Sudanese desperately want all.

Fortunately for a remote village, a gro up of Central Iowans has been working for more than eight years to bring clean water and hope to the village of Old Fangak.

Combined with the efforts of the Alaska-Sudan Medical Project, several water wells have been installed.

They are desperately needed.

Even in peacetime, some villagers have drawn disease-laden water from the Zaref River, a tributary of the Nile.

However, the scourges of the recent civil war which has killed thousands and injured countless others, has not reached the village, which means other South Sudanese have found refuge in Old Fangak, swelling its population from 5,000 to 50,000 to 100,000.

Which means the need for clean water is even more urgent.

Seven wells provide the clean water needs for the thousands, meaning many wait in line, or revert to the swamps.

The village is also home to a medical clinic, originally established years ago by Doctors Without Borders, during the height of another civil war.

Last month, a delegation of South Sudanese were guests of Greg Brown of the Marshalltown Rotary Club.

In 2012, Brown was one of seven Central Iowans who traveled to Old Fangak.

In 10 days, they installed one new well and repaired another.

Also helping then were three Alaskans, affiliated with ASMP.

Brown, Ambassador Stephen Kuol of South Sudan, and James Rauch, a South Sudanese native living in Omaha, Neb. thanked the local club, Rotary International, and numerous Central Iowa churches for the their significant generosity in helping provide clean water to the village.

“Water-borne diseases kill more people annually than malaria and AIDS combined,” said Kuol.

Brown said a delegation from Central Iowa will be traveling to Old Fangak in October to help set up the three rigs, bringing more clean water to the village.

Additionally, the team will working with South Sudanese in training them to operate the rigs.

“James (Ruach), while in South Sudan, was able to facilitate the delivery of the rigs recently during extremely difficult circumstances. He is to be commended.”

Bret Burroughs of Anchorage, Alaska, a member of WSM and a former oil industry executive described Old Fangak as “one of the most remote places on earth. Before the wells were installed, villagers were downtrodden. Now there is hope, all they (the villagers) want is hope.”

For more information visit wellspringmssions.org.

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Contact Mike Donahey at 641-753-6611 or mdonahey@timesrepublican.com