The water project at the South Air Strip is part of our partner's program in South Sudan.
South Air Strip is an IDP settlement, which means it is populated by Internally Displaced People. The residents of this village primarily came to South Sudan to escape the persecution which lead to the formation of this new country less than two years ago. South Air Strip is a settlement of 900 people. (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.)
Before receiving the new well, the people of South Air Strip gathered water from a river almost 2.5 miles away. Aside from the time and effort it takes to carry water that distance, the water itself was not safe, causing diarrhea, chest pain and typhoid according to the community members. The following personal were collected by our partner in the field:
Elizabeth James is 30 years old and has 6 children. She said she previously walked over 2 miles to get water from the Yei River. It caused her family to suffer from diarrhea and chest pains. She said before the war they could use a hand pump that was in another village, but it was broken in the war and nobody has fixed it for them.
Agency Maritin is 25 and has 3 children. She said she is so happy that she does not have to walk so far to get water anymore now that there is a borehole in her village. She said clean water equals a healthy body. She thanks The Water Project for helping provide clean water to her village.
What a change it will be for these many people to have access to safe, clean water right in their own community. Thank you for your help!