Clean water
Wells and boreholes
Drill a borehole and end the daily walk for water.
Illustrative photo: Ninno JackJr / Unsplash
Objective for the 2026 funding round
Drill six boreholes that give 3,000 people safe water within one kilometre of home, and keep 95% of them working a year later.
Who it reaches: Villages where women and girls walk more than an hour a day to rivers or open pits.
Target$72,201
Funding for this cause closes in
From $50: clean water for one person for 10 years.
The need
Women and girls in dry regions can spend hours a day fetching water from rivers and open pits shared with animals. The water makes children sick, and the walk keeps girls out of school. A borehole close to home changes both.
Why give to this cause
- A single borehole can serve a whole village for decades when it is drilled properly and maintained.
- Each water point has a trained local committee and a repair fund, so it keeps working long after it is built.
- Water quality is tested before handover, and every borehole is checked again after 12 months.
What your gift does
- $50clean water for one person for 10 years
- $500a hand pump replacement for an existing well
- $12,000a new drilled borehole serving about 500 people
Where your donation goes
The planned budget for this cause. Every quarter, the field report shows what was actually spent against each line.
- Drilling and casingLicensed contractor, rig, casing, screen and gravel pack.48%$240 of $500
- Survey and water testingHydrogeological survey before drilling, lab tests after.10%$50 of $500
- Pump, apron and drainageHand pump, concrete apron and soakaway to prevent standing water.17%$85 of $500
- Water committees and mechanicsTraining, tools and spare parts so repairs happen locally.15%$75 of $500
- Monitoring and reportingFollow-up visits at 3, 6 and 12 months.10%$50 of $500
How we do it
- 1
A hydrogeological survey picks the site; we do not drill on guesses.
- 2
A licensed local contractor drills, cases and tests the water for safety.
- 3
The community elects a water committee and trains a pump mechanic.
- 4
Users pay a small fee into a repair fund, so the pump keeps working after we leave.
The impact your gift will have
- Thousands of people get safe water within a short walk of home, instead of hours away.
- Girls and women, who usually fetch the water, get hours back each day for school and work.
- Water-borne illness falls, because families stop drinking from open ponds and rivers.
What we measure and report
Targets for the 2026 funding round. Results against each one are published in the quarterly field report sent to every donor to this cause.
| Measure | Target |
|---|---|
| Boreholes drilled | 6 |
| People with water within 1 km | 3,000 |
| Water points working after 12 months | 95% |
| Water quality tests passed | 100% |
Join in the cause today
Make an impactful change in Africa.
Donate to wells and boreholesFund wells and boreholes
Your gift goes to this programme. You'll get an email receipt now and the field report every quarter.
Funding for this cause closes in
Choose an amount
- $50clean water for one person for 10 years
- $500a hand pump replacement for an existing well
- $12,000a new drilled borehole serving about 500 people
Gifts start at $50. Choose your own amount on the next page.
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Household filters that make river and rain water safe to drink.
$80 household water filters for two families of six.
Target$61,655
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Toilets and handwashing stations for schools and villages.
$60 handwashing stations with soap for two classrooms.
Target$56,858
DonateQuestions donors ask
How much does it cost to build a water well in Africa?
A borehole costs several thousand dollars to drill, test and equip, depending on depth and ground conditions. You don't need to fund a whole well: every gift is pooled toward the next borehole, and the Wells and boreholes page shows what each amount buys.
How do I donate to clean water projects in Africa?
Choose a clean water cause and give online. Choose a cause, enter your amount in US dollars and pay securely by Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay or cryptocurrency (Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT and 100+ coins). You get an email receipt straight away and a field report every quarter.
How do you make sure water wells keep working?
Every water point has a trained local committee and a repair fund, and we check that it is still working 12 months after it is built.