This is not a game. Lives are at stake.

That was a quote from our orientation this year. And it’s true. We are changing lives and saving them. 

I was at 151 installations in my 3 weeks this year! Wow! That is helping about 18000 people with access to clean safe water. (math roughly on 20 households of 5 people each per well)

Altogether in the 4 weeks that we American volunteers were in the country 3,410 wells were installed! There are still some to be installed and we don’t have to worry, our team of workers will get them in as they have been throughout the years without us (and before when we didn’t ‘finish’ before leaving). There are still many wells that need to be funded. Want to help? Donate here! 

Well season starts at the beginning of August with training wells for the builders to learn on. But it also starts much earlier than that with the zoning committees and figuring out which villages will get wells this year. With a goal of 3450 wells this year, many are left wanting a well having to wait for next year. 

The wells take an average of three days to build. Digging, lining the inside with the gravel at the bottom and bricks all the way up. Making the concrete cap to make it a protected water source. As installations don’t start until mid September and run until the end of October, some villages (the earliest built) could be waiting over 2 months for the final product. Installation really is a time of great joy!