Thanks to a US$4,500 gift from the Loma Linda Romanian Seventh-day Adventist Church (California), the Kurmin-Dodo community in Nigeria now has a solar-powered borehole. It fulfils the final request of Pastor Istifanus Ishaya, President of the NNUC, who passed away in February 2026, and it was dedicated on June 13, 2026. The facility brings clean water to the community and illustrates the Church’s mission: proclaiming the gospel while meeting practical needs.
In the rural community of Kurmin-Dodo in Lere Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria, access to clean water had remained a daily struggle. For years, families walked long distances in search of water, often relying on unsafe sources that threatened their health and wellbeing.
Today, that story has changed.
Standing prominently in the heart of the community is a solar-powered water facility with two elevated GeePee storage tanks, more than an engineering achievement; it is a lasting symbol of faith, compassion, and the enduring power of servant leadership.
The project fulfils the final humanitarian appeal of the late Pastor Istifanus Ishaya, former President of the Northern Nigeria Union Conference (NNUC) of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, whose concern for his hometown continues to transform lives even after his passing.
In 2024, Pastor Ishaya, a native of Kurmin-Dodo, had shared the burden of his community with Dr. Akin Obisanya, appealing for support to provide a sustainable source of clean water for the people. Recognising the urgency of the need, Dr. Obisanya later presented the request to the Loma Linda Romanian Seventh-day Adventist Church in California, United States.
Moved by the appeal, members of the congregation responded generously, raising US$4,500 to fund the construction of a solar-powered borehole.
Before the project could be completed, however, tragedy struck.
Following a brief illness, Pastor Ishaya passed on February 6, 2026, while still serving as President of the Northern Nigeria Union Conference. Although he did not live to witness the fulfilment of his appeal, his vision for his community did not die with him.
Construction of the borehole was completed in May 2026.
On June 13, 2026, church leaders, community members, and well-wishers gathered in Kurmin-Dodo to dedicate the solar-powered water project, donated in loving memory of Pastor Istifanus Ishaya “to the glory of God and for the blessing of humanity.”
The dedication service brought together men, women, youth, and children in an atmosphere marked by gratitude, remembrance, and celebration.
Representing NNUC President Pastor Vealumun Iorkyaa, Executive Secretary Pastor Hananiya Ade Bayawa led the dedication ceremony and offered a prayer of thanksgiving, acknowledging the generosity of Dr. and Mrs. Akin Obisanya and the members of the Loma Linda Romanian Seventh-day Adventist Church.
The Church in Northern Nigeria is grateful to Dr. Obisanya, his wife, and every member of the Loma Linda Romanian Seventh-day Adventist Church whose generosity made this solar-powered borehole a reality for Kurmin-Dodo Community. May God richly bless each of you for responding to this call of compassion,” Pastor Bayawa prayed.
His remarks reflected one of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s core convictions that proclaiming the gospel also means meeting practical human needs.
Pastor Anana Adamu Yakubu, President of the Kaduna East Nigeria Mission, where the project is located, also expressed appreciation on behalf of the Church and the host community.
We pray that God will continue to bless all that you are doing as individuals and as a church. On behalf of the people of Kurmin-Dodo, we sincerely thank you. May the Lord reward your generosity abundantly, Pastor Yakubu said.
For residents of Kurmin-Dodo, the significance of the project extends far beyond convenience.
Across many parts of Northern Nigeria, inadequate access to safe drinking water remains one of the region’s persistent development challenges. The absence of potable water contributes to preventable diseases, limits economic productivity, and places a disproportionate burden on women and children, who often spend hours each day fetching water.
For the youth of Kurmin-Dodo, the new water facility represents hope.
Speaking on behalf of the community’s young people, Miss Abishang Joseph Maza described the project as life-changing.
You have brought great relief to our community because we have suffered from inadequate water for many years. We thank you, and we pray that God will bless you abundantly. May your pockets and your accounts never run dry in Jesus’ name, she said.
Her heartfelt words echoed the gratitude of countless residents whose daily lives have already begun to change because of the project.
Constructed by Daphat Engineering Services Limited, the solar-powered facility was designed to provide a reliable and environmentally sustainable source of clean water for Kurmin-Dodo and neighbouring communities.
Powered by renewable energy, the system ensures a consistent water supply while minimising operating costs, making it a long-term investment in community health and resilience.
Beyond the steel structures, solar panels, and elevated tanks lies a deeper story.
It is the story of a local pastor whose love for his people inspired action across continents. It is the story of a church family thousands of kilometres away choosing to respond to a community they had never met. And it is the story of how Christian generosity continues to flow long after a faithful servant has been laid to rest.
For the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Kurmin-Dodo water project reflects its holistic mission of ministering to the whole person, sharing the hope of the gospel while responding to practical needs through acts of compassion.
Every bucket of clean water fetched from the facility now bears silent testimony to that mission.
Pastor Istifanus Ishaya did not live to see his dream fulfilled. Yet each day, as children laugh around the taps, mothers return home with clean water, and families enjoy a healthier future, his legacy continues to flow - one life, one family, and one community at a time.
