Water for Good, a cooperating organization in the Charis Fellowship, is featured in BORGEN Magazine, an initiative of The Borgen Project. A portion of the story appears below. Click here to read the complete article.
Water for Good: Building Sustainable Wells in the CAR
The Central African Republic is a landlocked country in Central Africa that has been struggling with ongoing violence and civil wars for many years. This country has ranked second to last in the Human Development Index since 2018, with an estimated 79% of the population living in poverty and more than 3 million citizens requiring humanitarian aid. The widespread poverty and instability in this region have led to another problem that adds to the risks of everyday life in the Central African Republic—the lack of clean and accessible water.
There are many different charities and organizations that strive to bring clean water to African regions affected by poverty by drilling wells. However, an integral and often overlooked part of achieving water access for impoverished communities is maintaining these wells in the long term so that water remains accessible even after the initial volunteers have left. Water for Good, an NGO in the Central African Republic, is working to combat this issue and create a sustainable system of accessible water by building sustainable wells in the CAR.
The Effects of Water Scarcity
Lack of safe, accessible water perpetuates the cycle of poverty in many regions. Around 844 million people around the world do not have readily accessible clean water. The problems caused by water scarcity disproportionately affect women and girls in rural areas.
In many countries, women are held responsible for gathering and transporting water. Women in African regions affected by poverty and water scarcity typically walk four miles and carry 40 pounds of water each day. The time and energy spent gathering water takes away from the ability of women and girls in these areas to get an education or have a job.
Water shortages also have negative effects on health and hygiene. Globally, 2.3 billion people lack access to adequate sanitation and over 800 children under age five die every day from illnesses related to poor sanitation and water quality. Providing easily accessible and clean water improves impoverished communities’ living conditions and allows families to rise out of poverty.
In an interview with The Borgen Project, Gwen Debaun, a development specialist at Water for Good, states as “disease rates drop, kids can go to school and get an education instead of having to walk miles to get clean water. Women can get jobs and provide financially for their families instead of using their days collecting water. Access to clean water is truly life-changing!”
Click here to read the complete article.
