2021 Projects
Botswana
The village of Ereetsha, located in Northern Botswana, is a rural community of 1,000 people. The semi-arid and tropical environment offers little opportunity for fresh water for drinking and agriculture, and most of the population sources it’s water from streams, rivers and hand-dug wells. Often, the citizens of Ereetsha compete with elephants for fresh water – creating a biodiversity crisis for both people and animals.
Funds and support from FWWF helped provide a new water supply borehole for the village that alleviates this strain on the ecosystem and gives people better access to drinking water. In addition to drilling and installation of the borehole, FWWF helped with technical training for the community water management structure – assuring the equipment could be maintained and utilized for years to come.
Eswatini
For the villages of Madabukeni and Ngunya, located in the Lubombo region of Eswatini, water is only available during the limited rainy season – and that season has become shorter in recent years. Even when water is available, it is often unhygienic since the stagnant water holes are shared with livestock. As a result, diseases such as epilepsy, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, diabetes and bilharzia are common and hard to treat.
While housing, poverty and health concerns remain in these two residential areas, a FWWF supported well has provided for the most basic of needs: water. Residents are now able to take medicines with clean water and can avoid the 2 km (1.2 mile) trek to fetch water from an often dry riverbed.
Kenya
For the 955 students and 22 teachers at the Chemolingot Primary & Day School in Kenya, accessing clean water is critical to their ability to learn. Chemolingot is home to some of the neediest children in the country, who come from pastoralist families that live in an arid environment with little access to reliable food and clean water.
Prior to FWWF’s involvement, the nearest source of water for the school was a river 2 km (1.2 miles) away. Children were tasked with carrying water to the school, taking away from their already scarce educational opportunities.
Madagascar
Prior to FWWF’s borehole project at the Ampielemana Community Primary School in Madagascar, water was non-existent. Basic hygiene measures such as hand washing and sanitation couldn’t happen – and the results created serious health issues. According to the nearby community health center, diarrhea is the number one childhood health problem in this area. Without clean water for drinking and washing, it can lead to severe and long-term health issues.
Having a FWWF supported reliable water source not only provides clean water for the 85 school children, 454 village residents and 1,600 people from other neighboring hamlets, it also helps drive significant behavior change – making water, hygiene, and sanitation a way of life. The new water source will also help facilitate the creation of a school garden.
Malawi
The Chilemba Village of 1,500 people has no access to clean water and no electricity. As a result, malaria, intestinal parasites and skin infections are common. When it rains – which it rarely does – people do their washing in rainwater accumulated next to the road.
The FWWF-supported water source is allowing this extremely poverty-stricken community to begin to support itself from within. The clean water is helping residents with the basics for survival and giving them the opportunity to learn safe and sustainable agricultural practices.
Mozambique
In Mozambique, the Cubbana Health Centre is known as one of the only facilities that can assist women with childbirth, treat pediatric patients and perform medical procedures for the 30,000 community members. However, during the last few years, the only water available was supplied by a series of pumps situated about 7 km (almost 4.5 miles) away. The system’s extreme distance and many water shortages caused ongoing problems for the facility – where hygiene is critical to patient health and survival.
FWWF was able to develop and install a traditional pumping system that could produce enough water for the hospital and the community – more than 56,000 L (14,700 gallons) per day.
Uganda
Kids for Hope Primary School, in the Mpigi District of Uganda, has about 260 students enrolled, with about 70 of those living on-site. Many of the residential students are orphans. The facility has no power and no piped water. The only water source is located near a hillside and large swamp – and the water is unusable for drinking and hygiene. As a result, about 80% of the children suffer from waterborne illnesses.
The FWWF borehole project worked to alleviate this burden by installing a well near the school. This will not only support the school’s needs, but the needs of the nearly 1,000 people living nearby.
Zambia
The Jivundu Secondary School is in extremely rural area of Zambia. The school’s location and the nearby geography make it hard to secure clean water, which also creates a challenge in attracting and retaining teaching staff.
The FWWF borehole will help the school’s 405 students access water and allow students to participate in income-generating activities. It will also assist with the retention of teachers. Based on initial testing, the borehole should be able to generate around 1.5 to 1.8 L per second (about 23 GPM).
Zimbabwe
Chidobe Village, located in the Hwange Rural District Matabeleland North, has one borehole serving 1,500 people, and it was drilled in 1955. Residents wait all day at the hand pump to get water to serve their basic needs – and to water the community gardens which help them become more sustainable. Water scarcity in the area has become more extreme, with the dry season become longer and more catastrophic to crops and livestock.
The FWWF project has allowed the community to overcome many of these challenges. The water provides a critical resource not only for the residents, but also the local school of 420 students and 10 teachers. It also helps residents maintain the 2,000 domestic animals in the area, including cattle, donkeys and goats.
South Africa
In the Dzwerani Village, the Madala Community Creche serves 360 students and 9 teachers. The facility has no continuous or reliable water supply. Residents must either purchase water from a private community member or wait to get water from community stand taps. In many cases, they can go for almost 3 to 4 weeks without clean water.
The FWWF project provided a resource for much-needed water for hygiene and sanitation. This was especially important given the timing of the project – as COVID-19 began to spread. The new water source was instrumental in helping the creche and the surrounding community fight the spread of the pandemic.
Another project, The Langberg Hostel, located in the Gamagara Local Municipality, serves 889 students and 28 teachers. The hostel provides not only a learning space for students, but also living quarters and healthy meals. With no clean water, attendance at the school suffered. While the school had an existing borehole, it had been vandalized beyond repair. The FWWF project worked to install a new borehole, with plans to provide security to protect the system.