Project Status



Project Type:  Well Rehab

Program: Wells for Burkina Faso

Impact: 500 Served

Project Phase: 
Under Community Care
Initial Installation: Feb 2014

Project Features


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Community Profile

Upon completion of the project, our partner in the field reports...

There was some difficulty with this project as a result of some bad feelings between different parts of the village. Some people felt they were deserving of this help, others did not. Some felt like they were not being appreciated. All in all, it was a good occasion for the team to speak of the reason why we do what we do, and whose name it is in: Water for life in Jesus' name. When the team arrived, 500 families and several churches were dependent on various forms of surface water located a kilometer away from the community, an unprotected hand dug well located 4 kilometers away from the community, tube wells located 3 kilometers away from the community and protected hand dug wells located 7 kilometers away from the community to meet all of their water needs. (Editor's Note: While this many people may have access on any given day, realistically a single water source can only support a population of 350-500 people.  To learn more, click here.) Because of this and the community’s practice of open defecation, families were suffering from diarrhea and severe dehydration among other preventable water related illnesses. Most residents are of Protestant, Catholic or Muslim faith. The Association Krista Lawyir Church, Catholic Church and Protestant Churches all will continue to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the unreached and help cultivate new believers. The church will be able to use access to safe drinking water as an entry-point to sharing the Good News with community families; as empowerment of the local church creates a sustainable evangelical presence in the community. During the team’s stay, community members assembled a Water Committee, Self-Help Group and Women’s Health Group; all who assisted the team with the water project whenever possible, supplied any materials they had available and guarded the team’s equipment during the night. Before leaving the community, the team provided the Water Committee with a Living Water Burkina Faso contact number in case their well were to fall into disrepair, become subject to vandalism or theft.

During the hygiene education and using the Living Water Traditional Method, the following issues were addressed with 95 participants from the community and surrounding area; including the Water Committee: Germs, Hand Washing-Proper Techniques and Water Saving Methods, Good-Bad Hygiene Behaviors, Proper Care of Pump and Keeping the Water Clean.

The Living Water Burkina Faso team had an opportunity to meet with 35 year old community member and farmer, Cleophace Some, who stated, “I want to thank all those who have left their harvest work to come participate in the all the activities that you have come to see here in this village. We have seen many activities take place here in the past, but not in this domain of water. Water is the source of life. This is the first well of this village. It's because of this well that we have built up this village full of houses. This well has broken down many times and we tried to repair it with our meager means but still it did not work. But today it's a great joy for this village to see water flow from this well which was sitting broke down for a long time. From today, we have clean water for ourselves and our animals which are many and were without water. Thanks a lot to everyone!"

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Project Type

Well rehabilitation is one of the most cost effective ways to bring clean, safe water to a community.  Sometimes it involves fixing a broken hand pump, other times it means sealing a hand dug well to prevent it from being contaminated.  These repairs, and often time total replacements, coupled with sanitation and hygiene training make a huge impact in communities.