Just in from Stephen H., the drilling supervisor at WHI – our implementing partner in Sudan…
“We are finally finished drilling the well in Muresuk village and let me tell you it was one of the toughest wells we have drilled yet! We actually drilled two different holes. On the first attempt, we drilled all the way down to 100m (328ft) and only found a small amount of water. The amount of water was so small it didn’t keep the dust down as we drilled further.
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From the LWI Team…
As we have discussed, LWI has been – and will continue to be – invested in the long term water needs of Haiti. We are working to scale our operations to include 500 well rehabs in 2010. Just as a reference, our programs were completing between 200-300 a year, previously. This scale is possible, but we obviously need your help. As we each work with our constituent base, our common goal is not to see giving spike around this immediate disaster and then dwindle off when the media leaves. Rather, sustained investment in this program will allow the work to continue…. I think of the pressing need for all efforts of on-ground organizations in Haiti to immediately be able to scale, but to do so in a way that is sustainable.
We have found that the migration away from PaP has happened quickly. Our team is currently outside of PaP – and has repaired 9 wells so far (update was as of Friday – work occurred over the weekend). There is a lot of work ahead of us, and we are working to make sure that supplies are on the water to build our capacity. Our teams have reported that there are already people from PaP in Cap Haitian. So, we know from this point forward, work anywhere in the country is a response to this disaster.
After a phone call with our team in Haiti, LWI’s Haiti program director shared that the team indicated: “broken wells are everywhere; they said they could repair wells forever.”
Thank you for your partnership in assuring that long-term water needs are being met in Haiti. I have had an opportunity to keep in touch with many of you, and look forward to continuing to work towards a shared investment in rebuilding water infrastructure in Haiti.
The Water Project has joined a coalition of water organizations who are coordinating our response to the crisis unfolding in Haiti.
We’re proud to be partnered with Living Water International (LWI) who is ready and able to provide immediate assistance to the people of Haiti. They are on the ground now!
100% of funds raised will go directly to the relief effort.
We will post updates on Twitter, Facebook and here on our site as we receive them.
Hi Water Project! This is Stephen Huber, Project Manager for WHI and I am happy to tell you that we started drilling your well yesterday (Jan. 7th) in the village of Muresuk in Kigwo Boma S. Sudan. We have drilled down to about 24m yesterday and hope to finish the drilling today. The drilling is slow going due to the hardness of the rock.
Kigwo is the most undeserved Bomas (sub-counties) in Kajo Keji County. It has four villages and only one water well. Until recently, the area was very inaccessible due to very poor road conditions and unexploded land mines. Thankfully, deminers have been working hard clearing the road and another NGO has grated the road and built bridges.
Needless to say, the villagers are very excited! Many villagers have shown up to help and contribute labor, materials for pad construction, and food for the crew. The WHI crew is very excited as well to help these people that have been neglected for far to long. Thank you for your support and we will continue to keep you updated on the drilling process. Please have a look at the pictures that were taken yesterday.
OctoberfeAst 2009
“Come to OktoberfeAst! Drink, give, rejoice, and help us build a well!”
That’s how the invite read when a non-profit group in California decided to step-up and do something they’d never done before for people they’ve never met.
Over 150 people, 65 pounds of Bratwurst, and one polka band were just the beginning of a great day of giving this past November. Together they raised $5,300 for clean water!
Now…in just a few months, well drillers will begin constructing the first of two wells that Who Will We Will and friends funded in Sudan. Thanks for all your…ahem…hard work. 
This new well serves a village of about 650 people, mostly agricultural laborers. Before this well was installed they did not have a protected source of water. The well in use was unreliable and filled with garbage (you can see pictures of it below). Today, thanks to the generosity of individual donors to The Water Project, these families are enjoying clean and safe drinking water.
Our implementing partner noted about their visit,
“Arriving at this place and experiencing the fireworks and the celebration was a tad overwhelming but when you consider what they had previously to what exists now, it’s no wonder they were excited to have us and show off their new water source.”
In order to fundraise for the Global Water Initiative, Howard Hall at the University of Notre Dame decided to host a 24 hour teeter totter marathon. Totter for Water stationed a teeter totter right on South Quad and had people see-saw for 24 hours straight!
The hall’s female residents, nicknamed the “ducks”, hosted a kickoff party where dorm mascots from all over campus came to ride the totter. Food and music always add up to a good time.
People walking by were encouraged to both donate to the cause and relive their childhood memories by riding the teeter totter. Over 270 people rode the totter. From on-site and online donations we raised a total of $2,331.03. That translates as 233 people who now have access to clean water for 10 years. Well, you know what they say, ducks love water!!
Over 1,500 girls attend the Eva Marrie Girls School in Perambalur, India. The shear size of the school magnified the lack of access to water. Before this well and distribution systems were constructed, the school children would have to leave the grounds to access public taps or they would use a small amount of water which the school was forced to pay for from a “water cart”. Improving access to water means more time in class, less danger traveling outside of school grounds and far better access to proper sanitation, a huge issue for a girls school.
This was the second of two wells funded by Burns High School FFA. The full name of the location is Kothamangalam Bagavathi Amman Street. This particular village has about 700 Dalit families and like the first had been without a safe and dependable water source.
This village, not far from the first, suffered many of the same water problems. Prior to this well being installed they walked great distances for water. Even then, what they found was water designated for the fields and crop growing – unsuitable and unsafe to drink.
Thankfully,with the help of the students at Burns HS FFA, these people are enjoying their very own protected water source.
Lots of Pictures Inside
This well, the first of two projects funded by Burns FFA, serves around 750 -900 Dalit families. They have been suffering for some time due to their water needs. Prior to this well being installed they walked great distances for water. Even then, what they found was water designated for the fields and crop growing – unsuitable and unsafe to drink.
The Wells for Life team reported that, as they arrived on the scene “there were a large number of villagers waiting for us along with elected community leaders. It was apparent that the provision of the well, tank and taps was just what they needed. The atmosphere was happy and everyone was celebrating the new gift of water.”
