CauseLife

More than 1 billion people in the world lack access to clean water. This causes over 2 million unsafe drinking water deaths every year, and the majority are children. Every day, 6,000 children die from water-related illnesses such as diarrhea, malaria, typhoid, cholera, worms, and parasites. The lack of clean drinking water in developing countries is the starting place of a thousand miseries. It exacerbates malnutrition, sickness, infant mortality, poverty, and illiteracy. Their greatest need is clean water through community wells.

Wells will impact entire villages ranging from 500 to over 1,000 people at any one time.  A shallow well will provide water for 5 years and a deep bore well will provide water for 20 years.

The terms shallow and deep bore are two broad classifications for wells. A shallow well reaches down to the upper part of the unconfined ground water, known as the water table, at that location. A deep bore well is sunk through impermeable stratum beneath the ground water and reaches water that is trapped between two layers of stratum.

The time it takes to drill a well can vary greatly from country to country. The drilling process can range between a few months to over a year. Many factors contribute to this. Hydrologists must find the best water source in the area. Then, each country requires different permits and has regulations that must be filed and followed. Many communities are in very remote areas with rough terrain. Sometimes, drilling equipment must be replaced. All this can lengthen the time it takes to drill a well.

Although labor is cheaper in developing countries, other drilling-related costs can be higher. Equipment must be brought in, sometimes from far distances, even different countries. Very often, specialized equipment is needed. Materials are scarcer and must also be shipped in.  Also, these are large wells designed to provide for an entire community, sometimes over 1,000 people. This costs much more to install than a single family well.

Actually, in many places in Africa the water table is better than in the United States. The problem is that these communities do not have the resources and equipment necessary to reach the water.

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Yes. Your online donation will be secure through our use of PayPal. PayPal protects your financial information with industry-leading security and fraud prevention systems. When you use PayPal, your financial information is not shared with causelife. Once your payment is complete, you will be emailed a receipt for your tax-deductible donation.

We strive to keep overhead costs to a minimum using only 6 percent for the administration of the projects and 3 percent for fundraising.

In these cases, we will combine your gift with the gifts of others to drill wells. Therefore, no gift is too small.