Across the globe, about 2.2 billion people still live without access to safely‑managed water services; meaning water that is on‑premises, available when needed, and free from contamination. In many remote villages, families walk miles each day to fetch water from streams, puddles, or hand-dug holes in the ground – water that is often contaminated and dangerous. This crisis doesn’t just impact health. It robs children of education, women of opportunity, and entire communities of hope. For Ashley Grindstaff and her family, that reality became impossible to ignore.
The first time Ashley set foot in Kenya, it didn’t just change her life, it transformed her perspective forever. In 2020, she traveled there to meet the children her family sponsored, expecting joy and connection. Instead, she found herself stunned by the reality: children and their mothers walking for hours under a blazing African sun to collect water that wasn’t even clean.
She came home angry. Angry at how much we take for granted, at how fast we live, at how much we waste, at how rarely we pause to consider the basic blessings that others pray for. But from that anger came action and purpose—a calling to step in, dig deep, and help rewrite the story. Within two months of returning, Ashley and a few friends raised enough money to fund their very first well, and just like that, The Living Well Project was born.
The motivation wasn’t just water. It was dignity. It was compassion. It was feeling the call, hearing the message, and having the courage to say yes.
Alongside her husband Paul and board members Alicia Miley, Sarah Henson, and Chris Wilkerson, Ashley believes that water is only the beginning. So far, the group has completed 16 wells across Kenya, Senegal, Malawi, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico—with another well in Uganda finalized just weeks ago, thanks in part to a donor who stepped forward and said, “God called me to pay for whatever amount is left.”
That’s how this mission moves. With faith. With fire. With people willing to follow His lead.
With every visit, they aim to provide more than just clean water. They sit with families, pray in homes, laugh with children, and hold hands with widows. They bring shoes, hygiene kits, school supplies, and small, yet meaningful gifts. Most importantly, they bring the Gospel—spreading the word of Jesus Christ as they meet physical needs, aiming to be a spark of hope and connection, not just provision.
The team works hand-in-hand with Water for Nations—a faith-led nonprofit founded and run by Ashley’s own family based in Nairobi. Her cousin and his wife felt called by God to permanently relocate to Kenya, where they now dedicate their lives to providing clean, accessible water to remote communities. Water for Nations handles the drilling, permits, and logistics, and even personally scouts new well locations to help guide the mission’s direction on the ground.
“They’re in Kenya because God told them to go,” Ashley says. “And we’re just trying to follow His lead.”
While trained drillers handle the manual labor, the LWP team focuses on fellowship—fully immersing themselves in the communities they serve. One of their most unforgettable memories happened during a well dig near a rural school called Utoo. Once school was dismissed, the kids gathered around, hopeful and eager. When the drill hit the aquifer, a geyser of water shot into the air. One boy began fist-pumping, leaping with joy. He had never seen water like that before—water that was safe, plentiful… and his.
The team recalls many similar moments. Paul remembers meeting a grandfather who shocked him when he pulled a wrinkled photo of himself and Ashley from his pocket; one that he had safeguarded since their last visit, marking the true significance of the impact that these foreign missionaries had made on his life. Or, a woman who was gifted a sewing machine who now runs a thriving business with this simple yet vital tool. And then there’s Alicia, who bought every single tote a woman had made from recycled rice bags—bags, she learned, that helped pay for the medical care her husband desperately needed to survive.
These aren’t one-time gifts. These are lifelines.
And while the work is grounded in purpose, it’s also grounded in love. “The women over there do everything,” Ashley says. “And they get nothing in return.” When the LWP team visits, they make it a point to prioritize them, gifting jewelry, clothing, and simple tokens that say, you matter.
Back home, the work doesn’t stop. The team fundraises year-round through events like fish fries, raffle tickets, and formal events like The Ball—each effort fueled by the community and focused on furthering the mission. They collect donated supplies with the same intention they bring to the field: to serve with love. Hygiene products, school supplies, clothes, shoes, and toothbrushes are carefully stored in their local warehouse, each item representing a prayer, a purpose, and a promise to return.
Ashley dreams of expanding their reach even further, of seeing how far and wide God can take them. “If He puts something in front of us and we say yes, He provides,” she says. “Every single time.”
And sometimes, it’s that quiet yes that changes everything.
As of 2025, the global water crisis still affects 1 in 4 people, but thanks to groups like The Living Well Project and Water for Nations, hope is flowing, wells are rising, and lives are being transformed: one well, one village, and one yes at a time.