This campaign began as way to raise funds for the Gambia Lifewater Project and the work of its leader Jeremy Mak. He wound up doing a TON of well & handpump repair in The Gambia, as well as other water projects wherever he found himself. (Colombia, Uganda etc.) Jeremy has shifted his focus now, and this campaign is continuing w/ focus on Water Charity's many projects in The Gambia & nearby regions. We continue to repair broken handpumps & help with water issues in other ways there. Thank you!
In rural Gambia, West Africa, there is a water crisis. Handpumps installed by aid agencies in the 1980s-90s are falling into disrepair due to the lack of spare parts and weak maintenance strategies. Often the only source of clean water, once a village pump breaks, locals resort to using open unprotected wells or walking long distances to find working pumps. Drinking dirty water from open wells exposes villagers to serious waterborne diseases and traps them in a cycle of poverty and ill-health.
The Gambia Lifewater Project identifies rural communities with broken handpumps and clean water shortages. We conduct handpump repairs and installations for poor villagers at no cost, using genuine replacement parts and a certified mechanic. Our work extends the life of ageing pumps for another 3 to 5 years. For vulnerable villages with just one pump or pumps beyond repair, we replace these with more durable and robust handpumps that can serve 20+ years, ensuring lasting clean water access.
By fixing old handpumps, introducing more durable pumping technology, and training mechanics, we are revitalizing rural Gambia's network of ageing handpumps to ensure more sustainable and reliable clean water access for local families. Our work directly curbs waterborne diseases, increases water security/availability, and fights poverty. So far, we have reached more than 13,000 women, children, and men with improved clean water access, and through this project, hope to reach 10,000+ more.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
