OUR WORK

Helping Women Build Better Lives:

We are part of a team helping thousands of women in West Africa to access groundwater, grow organic food, and build a business. On their terms. The money we raise goes directly into women-owned and women-run projects of water, livelihoods and food-security. Every dollar is accounted for, and donors get to watch online how they are connected to this fascinating work.

Humour and Trust as Backbone:

The women we help are all from underserved and vulnerable communities. They are the workforce of the village, and providers for their children. They also have a great sense of humour. We build on that humour to earn their trust. Trust allows our hands-on approach to combine their many strengths with design solutions that are site-specific, alongside local and international technicians, contractors, engineers and certified distributors. These incredible women then take over and propel their projects towards success.

Women Wanting Change.

It is estimated that women in Africa spend 40 billion hours per year walking to fetch water. In the villages we visit, women often spend four to six hours per day pulling water and carrying it on their heads. This leaves little time to grow food. The women say they are exhausted but will never stop feeding their families. They all say they want change. And grandmothers everywhere tell us that carrying 40 pounds of water on her head is a waste of their valuable time.

Sustainability and Cultural Adaptation

Five years ago, we asked: What if women had access to the volumes of water they needed, and no longer had to pull and carry it on their heads? The answer is astonishing. With solar irrigation watering the crops, many women can now garden all day. Women are empowering themselves, feeding their villages, and gaining a proper income. Diet diversity has increased 5-fold, people are healthier, children go back to school, and the women want to learn math and how to read.

How Your Money Makes a Difference.

Every $1 invested in clean water can yield $4–$12 in economic returns. It’s a solid investment; access to clean water is perhaps the single most powerful tool for sparking economic growth that humanity has ever known.