Safe drinking water in Africa is not a normal experience. For most families in rural and even in cities, getting water is a labor intensive activity for children old enough to carry water, and for women. In many cases the walk for water can take several hours starting early in the morning.
After the water is home and left to stand to let the sediment clear out, the water is still not safe to drink. The source can be a river, a spring, a cistern, or a ditch. But unless there is a safe source, the water at home is unsafe.
Safe water is not too expensive for us, but is beyond reach for communities in Africa. A shallow well, sealed from ground water using drilling mud (we use bentonite) and pumped with a hand pump is safe. The cost is $4,000 for well drilling and pump. This type of well can service hundreds of families, possibly up to 1,500 to 3,000 people depending on the area and population density. It is life changing.
