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James Harrington ‘97 (Religion & Philosophy): Showing the Love of Jesus Through Water
James Harrington ‘97 (Religion & Philosophy) is the Executive Director of the Ugandan Water Project – an organization he founded in 2008. He mobilizes partners and resources here in the U.S. to fund community water projects across Uganda. Most of his time is spent in the U.S. working to raise the money needed for new projects. However, his work takes him to Uganda 3 or 4 times per year to work with his staff and conduct field work.
James says that, “The Ugandan Water Project brings clean water to Ugandans because it is a way of making the love of Jesus tangible and practical for them. I also believe that our Rainwater Collection Systems, Borehole Wells, and Water Filters are catalyst tools that help our Ugandan brothers and sisters live the lives that God created them for. We started with two villages in 2008 and now we have installed more than 270 projects that bring clean water to more than 70,000 people.”
During his time at Roberts, James cultivated his Christian foundation, faith, and beliefs. He learned to analyze, critique, collaborate, deconstruct, and synthesize his thoughts. Dr. David Basinger helped shape his thinking, and James has fond memories of those classes. “I studied Philosophy with David Basinger who showed me how to break down the presuppositions behind people’s actions to explain why people do what they do. This has been instrumental for my work with the Ugandan Water Project. Here in the U.S. I challenge people to look outside of their lives and help UWP to transform communities on the other side of the world – building the on-ramps for why they should engage with us requires digging into their values and convictions. In Uganda, UWP endeavors to change the way communities deal with water sanitation and hygiene – building trust and influence means aligning with the shared foundational values of local residents.”
A fun story about Dr. Basinger. Students who had Dr. Basinger for class in the age of chalk boards will remember his metal chalk holder. James remembers that one day, “…as he wrote and talked at a fast pace, all of a sudden the chalk snapped, the chalk-holder flew out up in the air, spinning like a baton. He continued speaking without skipping a beat and snatched the projectile out of the air and continued writing…all in a flash. The guy next to me whispered in amazement, ‘I knew it, Dr. Basinger IS a ninja!’”
The work James does with the Ugandan Water Project allows him to be in front of schools, colleges, community groups, and businesses. He loves telling them that the best plans for changing the world are built on love and self-sacrifice – then inviting them to experience that for themselves with UWP. The challenge he leave them with is to bring love and self-sacrifice into all areas of their lives and ultimately – to find the source of that selfless love.
James has been married to Christy (who also attended Roberts for a couple years and worked in Admissions) for 18 years. They have three daughters – Maia-17, Emma-15, and Lydia-10. The Harringtons attend Elim Gospel Church in Lima, NY where they are very involved. This past Christmas season, the entire family spent a month in Uganda seeing the work that had recently been finished, lending a hand with new installations, and teaching the kids about the rustic beauty of the Pearl of Africa. For more information on the Ugandan Water Project, click here.