Our Story
Before Breakthrough Water became a program, the struggle for clean water was part of Abraham Thomas’s own childhood story. What began with one well in Makkuva in June 2012 became the flagship humanitarian program of Wisdom For Asia.
A neighbor’s kindness
A Kindness That Crossed Religious Lines
Long before Breakthrough Water began, Abraham Thomas knew what it meant to live without a water source of his own. Growing up in Kerala, India, his family lived in a church building. Their kitchen was very small and modest, with a wood-burning stove. For a time, they had no bathroom; a very basic one was added later. But the family never had a well of their own.
Across the road, a Hindu neighbor allowed the family to draw water from her well. Morning and evening, Abraham and his sisters crossed the road to collect what they needed. Her kindness crossed religious lines and left a lasting mark on Abraham. That memory would later help shape Breakthrough Water—a conviction that clean water should be shared with dignity, generosity, and love.
“The kindness that Hindu woman showed me is etched in my heart forever.”— Abraham Thomas
The turning point
“Give Them Water”
Years later, while visiting his friend Paul in his village of Makkuva, Andhra Pradesh, Abraham saw that same burden again. Paul’s wife left to fetch water. An hour and a half passed before she returned.
Paul explained that women in the region often walked up to five kilometers, carrying five or six water pots and making two or three trips each day—only to bring home water that was still unsafe to drink.
As Abraham waited, the scene carried him back to his own childhood. In that moment, he heard what he describes as a still, small voice: “Give them Water.”
The first well
They Continued Another 25 Feet
Within three days, drilling began in Makkuva. The team drilled 160 feet into dry rock without finding water. They were close to giving up. Instead, they prayed and continued drilling. After another 25 feet, water came gushing out. The well was completed within seven days and dedicated on June 10, 2012. That breakthrough gave the program its name: Breakthrough Water.
Water came gushing out.
From one well to 220
The Conviction Remains Simple
What began in Makkuva has continued across two nations. Since June 2012, Breakthrough Water has completed 220 wells—218 in India and 2 in Sri Lanka.
The scale has grown, but the conviction remains simple: bring clean water closer, honor the dignity of each community, and document the work truthfully.