Bring Clean Water to 15 Villages in Rural Gambia

Dear Friends,

I hope this message finds you all well. I'm writing to let you know that due to a supply chain constraint out of our control, we are still waiting for the Bluepumps to be delivered from the Netherlands to Gambia--the handpump installation trip that we had planned for last month unfortunately did not take place as anticipated. Rest assured, we hope to get this resolved as soon as possible, and tentatively aim to reschedule these activities for early 2017. 

In the meantime, in our effort to expand our footprint, we have worked with Water Charity to put together another project to deliver clean water to Villa Estacion, a small impoverished community in Northeast Colombia. Lacking a piped water system, the village currently draws its water from a series of surface ponds that collect rainwater. With no way to filter or disinfect their water, community members drink the murky water directly, a practice that leaves them extremely vulnerable to diarrhea, dysentery, and other serious waterborne diseases.

Next month, we will travel to Villa Estacion to distribute Sawyer water filters and train locals how to install, use, and maintain them. Each filter has the ability to remove impurities as small as 0.1 micron, and can effectively filter out bacteria that causes typhoid, E. coli, dysentery, cholera, and other serious water-related illnesses. The filters are extremely long-lasting, and we expect each to serve 10+years.

In addition, we will also distribute solar flashlights, hygienic water containers, and bednets. This integrated intervention will reach up to 500+ people and empower them to live healthier, happier, and more productive lives. A map of our project location in Colombia can be seen HERE.

Many thanks for your continued support,

Jeremy Mak