|
HOME PROJECTS ABOUT IMPACT RESOURCES MEDIA DONATE |
Because Water is Life
- One of Canada's top 10 charities working internationally
- Canada's top charity focused on providing water
- One of only 11 Canadian charities to receive an overall A+ rating
Read Lifewater's news release
Why is safe water so important? Because without it, children and their families must drink dirty water from swamps, ponds, and other potentially deadly sources. When children are sick, they cannot go to school. When adults are sick, they cannot earn the money needed to care for their families. In this way, contaminated water prevents families, communities, and entire regions from reaching their God-given potential.
We received this grim message recently from a pastor in Kenya: “The outbreak of waterborne diseases is frequent and has claimed the lives of many children below the age of five.”
Experts say that someone — usually a child — is dying every 20 seconds from drinking dirty water and/or inadequate hygiene. You can save lives. Please give today. Each well you enable us to drill or repair helps hundreds of people escape the waterborne diseases that either kill them or trap them in an endless cycle of sickness and poverty.
Our strategy is simple but effective:
1) Local crews drill wells, rehabilitate wells, repair broken pumps, install rainwater catchment systems, and build latrines and handwashing stations.
2) Our volunteers here at home pay their own way to Africa and Haiti to train and equip the local crews for their work.
3) Donors cover the other costs, providing the water that people desperately need to survive.
By applying this strategy, Lifewater Canada has built more than 1,700 water systems so far, while also rehabilitating more than 250 out-of-service wells, repairing thousands of broken pumps, building dozens of communal latrines and handwashing stations, and organizing countless health and hygiene workshops. But there is still an enormous need for more.
Many people ask: "How much does it cost to build a well in Africa or Haiti?" The cost varies from $3,500 USD to $5,000 USD, depending on a variety of factors including whether we're drilling into soil or rock, the type of rig needed to drill through that material, and the depth of the well. (We quote all costs in US dollars because all of our overseas commitments are in US dollars). Each well provides safe, accessible water to hundreds of people.
You can fund the cost of an entire well (including casing, hand pump, and concrete slab to protect against ground-water contamination) or part of a well. You can also repair wells that have broken down. Each $250 USD you contribute will ensure that five more wells are providing safe water again. Your $500 USD will repair 10 wells, and your $1,000 USD will repair 20 wells.
People also ask: "How long does a well last"? Again, that varies according to several factors including how many people are using the well each day, and how well it is maintained. But most wells will continue to function for 10 to 12 years before needing major repairs or upgrading, and some will function well for twice that long.
Provide the life-saving benefit of clean water. You'll never regret it.
Featured Story and Events
In Celebration of Jim Gehrels' lifeLifewater Canada founder and president Jim Gehrels suffered a fatal heart attack in July 2020 at age 59. His arm of influence extended far and wide, and he will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and colleagues, plus many of the hundreds of thousands of people who are drinking safe, accessible water today because of his passion, vision and perseverance. Lynda Gehrels, Jim’s wife who already possessed a broad knowledge of Lifewater’s operations and a passion to see its life-saving impact continue to grow, is now the non-profit organization’s president.
Click here to read more
Take 2 minutes to Learn how $1 = Safe Water for a Year!
Every $1 you give provides a child with safe water for a year!
Copyright © 2020. All rights reserved.