Donors Make Projects Affordable
In countries where the average annual income is several hundred dollars per year, a well costing $5,000 CDN is far beyond the reach of most people. Even the cost of repairing or replacing a broken hand pump is beyond them.
For the poor living is cashless rural society, the cost might as well be a $1 million!
War and natural disasters make the problem even worse, by destroying existing facilities, displacing people, and devastating income-earning potential.
The impact of trying to survive without safe water and sanitary toilets is most pronounced among the very young and very old. In Liberia, 15% of the impoverished nation's children die from preventable disease before reaching age five.
Lifewater Canada donors pay the costs of the drilling and repair crew, plus materials. This makes the project affordable to a local community, which contributes a small amount of cash (normally about $100 CDN) plus "sweat equity" (by hauling water needed for the drilling process, guarding the equipment, etc.)
