The United Nations’ World Water Day is recognized on March 22 to focus the world’s attention on the importance of water with a different theme each year and this year’s theme being “Nature for Water” – exploring nature-based solutions to the water challenges we face in the 21st century.

We have been working for decades to provide access to clean water for thousands of African children, families, and elders through the digging of wells and installation of water lines to villages from clean water sources.

We are profoundly aware of the risk of severe illness, and even death, that could be prevented by access to clean water. The World Health Organization (WHO) notes that in 2014 alone an estimated 842,000 people throughout the world, many in sub-Saharan Africa, died of diarrhea-related diseases such as cholera, dysentery, Typhoid fever and others caused by inadequate drinking water, sanitation and hygiene.

In 2015, WHO estimated that some 330 million people in sub-Saharan Africa alone lack improved sources of drinking water, forcing millions of them – primarily girls and women – to walk long distances to fetch water, and return with 5-gallon containers weighing 40-pounds on being carried on their heads.

We believe these young girls and teenagers should be in school instead of walking miles collecting water, frequently from unsafe, contaminated sources, and that’s why for some 20 years we have dug wells at schools, and open to the surrounding communities, relieving them of the burdensome task of fetching water.

As you read this we are in the process of constructing such another well at a school in the village of Nafami in Sierra Leone which, when completed later this year, will serve the student body of 300 pupils and 1,000 more in the surrounding village.

Learn more about our efforts to provide clean water to tens of thousands of Africans.