Selected again as one of the nation’s best non-profits in which Canadians can confidently invest.

Nov. 4, 2025 – Lifewater Canada, while celebrating its 30th anniversary of drilling and repairing water wells in
Africa and Haiti, has been selected for the SEVENTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR as one of Canada’s 10 best charities
in terms of the impact achieved on behalf of donors.

Lifewater has received the Top-10 selection again from Charity Intelligence, an independent organization that
monitors and evaluates the performance of more than 850 Canadian charities. Charity Intelligence posted its
Top 10 list for 2025 today at www.charityintelligence.ca.

In a news release, Charity Intelligence said: “Most charities claim that they ‘make a difference’ in the lives of
those they work with, but it is very difficult for donors to tell how much of a difference any given charity is
making. Charity Intelligence’s rigorous analysis measures this difference, or the impact, charities make to see
how each dollar we give can create the most positive change.”

Charity Intelligence estimates that Lifewater and the other nine charities in the Top 10 list are delivering
average returns of more than $7 for every dollar donated, compared with an overall average among other
Canadian charities of $1.50 for each dollar donated. However, Charity Intelligence has said Lifewater is
generating much more – $11 of impact – for every dollar donated.

“We place a very high priority on being cost-effective and accountable to our donors,” says Lifewater Canada
president Lynda Gehrels. “Our overhead costs are consistently low each year, and each completed project –
even a relatively simple pump repair – has a dedicated page on our website where donors can see the tangible
impact of their support through photos, a map, GPS coordinates, technical data, a brief profile of the benefiting
community, and a thank-you letter from the community.”

In addition to including Lifewater in its Top 10 overall impact list, Charity Intelligence again included Lifewater
among a list of the top 10 Canadian charities focused on international relief and development.

“To be selected again as a Top 10 charity in both categories is a wonderful way for us at Lifewater to celebrate
the organization’s 30-year history,” Gehrels said. “When my late husband Jim helped drill our first well in 1995,
I don’t think he ever dreamed we would be having this much impact year after year.”

In its news release, Charity Intelligence said: “Donors give for many reasons, including the reputation of the
charity, overhead costs, charity mass mailings, or giving back to a familiar cause. But if you want your donation
to make a difference, give for impact. The Association of Fundraising Professionals says ‘the only measure by
which Canadians can truly judge whether they should give to a charity is how well it changes the lives of its
beneficiaries.’

“And Imagine Canada, that works with and on behalf of the nonprofit sector, says that a credible assessment
of charities must include impact. Charity Intelligence couldn’t agree more. For donors who want to find
charities that are effectively changing lives, look no further than these Top Impact Charities.”

Gehrels attributes Lifewater’s “Top Impact” success to its highly dedicated drilling and repair teams in Liberia,
Kenya, Nigeria, and Haiti. They are local people – trained and equipped by Lifewater – who are passionate
about providing safe water. Their jobs often keep them away from their families for long periods. “It is a
privilege to support and empower them,” she said.

Thanks to the teams’ efforts, and the generosity of Lifewater donors, the charity has undergone dramatic
growth in the seven years since its first Top 10 selection by Charity Intelligence. Whereas in fiscal 2019
Lifewater completed 459 wells, pump repairs and other water projects, it completed 6,988 in fiscal 2025.
Since that first well in Liberia in 1995, Lifewater has completed more than 23,400 water projects benefiting
more than 9.9 million children and adults.

Besides ensuring each completed water project has a dedicated page on the www.lifewater.ca website,
Lifewater also posts regularly updated data concerning the number of total beneficiaries, local economic
impact, additional hours in school each month for children who no longer need to walk long distances every
day to fetch water, and how many additional hours girls are in the classroom to improve their lives.

Unsafe water is a leading cause of disease and death throughout the world. The World Health Organization
says at least 1.7 billion people (almost one in four) on the planet is drinking water each day contaminated by
feces, and over half a million people (most of them children) are dying each year from diarrheal diseases caused
by contaminated water and inadequate sanitation and hygiene.

Lifewater is responding to this ongoing tragedy by drilling new wells and repairing old ones – including many
installed by other organizations no longer available to provide support. Lifewater also constructs community
toilets, installs hand-washing stations, and provides health and hygiene training.

About Charity Intelligence:

Charity Intelligence researches Canadian charities so donors can be informed and give intelligently. Its website
features free reports on more than 850 Canadian charities. More than 350,000 people use the site annually to
evaluate Canadian charities. Through rigorous, independent research, Charity Intelligence assists Canada’s
charitable sector in being more transparent, accountable, and focused on results.

About Lifewater Canada:

Led by Jim Gehrels until his death in 2020, and by his wife Lynda since then, Lifewater has five part-time and
four full-time employees spread across four Canadian provinces. All work from their homes to help ensure
Lifewater’s administration, fundraising, and salary costs stay consistently below 12% of the total budget.
Together, this small team coordinates water projects in Liberia, Kenya, Nigeria, and Haiti. To support Lifewater,
go to www.lifewater.ca/donate.

For interviews or more information:

• Lynda Gehrels, President – lyndagehrels@lifewater.ca or (807) 622-4848
• Jeff Adams, Donor Relations Manager (West) – jeffadams@lifewater.ca or (403) 615-8747

For video B-roll:

• Go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb1Tbv5cXO0

This is what we are doing, acting faster, more boldly, and working to expand our reach and impact. We know we are only one part of the larger solution, but that is a part that we hold dearly, reaching every community that we can as the opportunity presents with the reality of safe water and sanitation, not just the promise.

Hauling water disproportionately affects women and girls as:

• They are often culturally responsible for their family’s water needs.
• It can cause long-term muscular and skeletal damage from walking long distances with heavy loads.
• It exposes them to risks like snake bites, disease, and human violence like assault and rape—especially when walking alone or after dark.

A lack of Menstrual Hygiene products forces women and girls to:

• Stay home—missing out on school or work, further limiting their opportunities.
• Use unsanitary materials to absorb their menstrual blood such as leaves or feathers, causing infection and disease.
• Turn to the desperate practice of ‘sex for pads’—the exchange of transactional sex for money to buy supplies. This often leads to unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.

World W. 1 in 4 people globally still lack access to safe drinking water – WHO, UNICEF. Who.int. Published August 26, 2025. https://www.who.int/news/item/26-08-2025-1-in-4-people-globally-still-lack-access-to-safe-drinking-water—who–unicef

Safe and accessible drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) are fundamental to human health. Without them, disease spreads, poverty grows, and opportunity disappears.

THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF UNSAFE WATER

When people are sick from drinking dirty water, adults can’t work and children can’t go to school. This has a chronic economic impact on families, communities, nations, and entire regions. The World Bank Group, an organization dedicated to eradicating extreme poverty in developing countries, says its research shows that unsafe water reduces potential economic growth by as much as one-third.

“Clean water is a key factor for economic growth,”; says World Bank Group President David Malpass. “Deteriorating water quality is stalling economic growth, worsening health conditions, reducing food production, and exacerbating poverty in many countries.”

ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS:

1. Child Mortality and Deadly Disease Spread
   Contaminated water leads to cholera, diarrhea, and other preventable diseases that claim thousands of lives, especially children.
   Every 35 seconds, a child dies from water-related diseases.
   
2. Missed Education and Period Poverty
   Children, especially girls, miss school to collect water or cannot attend during their menstrual cycles due to shame, stigma and the lack of basic hygiene products, a challenge known as period poverty.
   
3. Wells Break or Go Unused
   Even when wells are drilled, many break down or are vandalized due to lack of maintenance and local training, leaving communities right back where they started.
   
4. Cycles of Poverty
   Time lost to water collection, illness, and caregiving reduces productivity and traps families in cycles of poverty.

Richard and his wife Katrina Sriranpong, a former immigration and refugee lawyer, celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary by donating $5,000 to help drill a well in Kitui, Kenya.

Katrina says she and her husband were motivated because they are concerned for people living without safe water and facing other daily challenges including poverty.

“Recognizing that water and sanitation are a fundamental human right, we sought a charity with a dedicated mission to ensuring that everyone has access to safe and acceptable water sources without discrimination,” she said.

“We were impressed by Lifewater Canada’s strategy of actively engaging community members. The charity recruits local residents and utilizes in-country teams to drill new wells and repair existing wells. This ensures that the residents of a village are equipped with the skills necessary to maintain and repair the wells.

“We were also impressed by the financial transparency of the charity and the fact that 91% of every dollar donated, after overhead costs, is used towards their cause of providing safe drinking water.”

When a community has safe water, members can achieve better overall health, gender equity, higher education, increased productivity, and a more prosperous economy.

“We chose to commemorate our 10th wedding anniversary by providing safe water to marginalized people in the hope it will open doors to more opportunities for the whole community,” Katrina said.

She and Richard have two young children in Vancouver whom they intend to instill social responsibility and social consciousness through their own charitable giving.

“We also urge other families to donate to Lifewater Canada to enable children to see the profound impact they can make in the world and in the lives of others,” Katrina added.

(As seen in Lifewater Canada’s Fall 2024 Newsletter)

Period poverty – the lack of access to menstrual products, adequate sanitation facilities, and essential education on managing menstrual health – affects millions of women and girls around the world. This issue has far-reaching consequences, causing many to miss school or work, and leading to negative health and emotional outcomes. Moreover, period poverty increases the likelihood of gender-based violence, as many women and girls feel forced to stay home due to a lack of care essentials.

In countries like Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, and Haiti, a significant percentage of women are affected by period poverty. In both Kenya and Haiti, for example, 65% of women cannot afford basic necessities like menstrual products, pain medication, or even underwear, which severely impacts their hygiene, dignity, and mental well-being. In the regions where Lifewater Canada operates, this challenge is compounded by limited access to clean water and hygiene facilities. Without them, many women and girls are forced to use unsafe alternatives, such as dirty rags or newspapers, increasing their risk of infections. It also leads to more school absenses, with some girls resorting to risky behaviors, like transactional sex, to afford menstrual products. This exposes them to further risks such as pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, HIV/AIDS, and gender-based violence. 

Our partners at STADA in Kenya are actively working to change this. They provide women and girls with “Dignity Kits” – five reusable pads packaged in a durable zippered bag. Along with the kits, Health and Hygiene seminars focusing on women’s health are held, offering valuable education on menstrual hygiene management (MHM). To date, STADA has distributed over 16,300 kits, leading to a 74% decrease in school absenteeism and a 55% improvement in academic performance among girls. 

This month, STS-Liberia plans to launch a similar Dignity Kit program, with our partners in Nigeria to follow in the new year. These efforts are enabling girls to stay in school, remain healthy, and avoid the risks of teenage pregnancies and infections. 

Empowering women and girls through the distribution of Dignity Kits is part of Lifewater Canada’s broader mission. In addition to providing access to clean water, we focus on building sanitation facilities and delivering essential health and hygiene education. Together, these initiatives ensure that women and girls in Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, and Haiti have the tools they need to live healthier, more dignified lives. 

The Ripple Effect of Safe Water: Dignity Kits

(As seen in Lifewater Canada’s 2024 Annual Impact Report, p.15)

STADA, one of our implementing partners in Kenya, distributes “Dignity Kits” – consisting of 5 reusable sanitary pads in a reusable, zippered bag – in the Kisumu and Kitui counties of rural Kenya. Girls in these rural areas have to miss class time in school due to their limited access to affordable Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) products and information. According to the Kenyan Ministry of Health, 54% of Kenyan girls face challenges in accessing MHM products, and 65% are missing sufficient access to these products. When girls lack affordable access to menstrual care, they sometimes turn to the desperate practice of ‘sex for pads’ – which is the exchange of sex for sanitary towels. This leads to teenage pregnancies, HIV/AIDs infections, and eventually school dropouts. 

In pursuit of ending period poverty, STADA focuses on keeping girls in school, creating awareness of MHM – thereby reducing period shame, and providing platforms to conduct research that would influence MHM policies. In achieving these objectives, STADA has produced more than 20,000 kits containing washable/re-usable sanitary towels since 2022. More than 16,322 have been distributed so far. Every three months, STADA carries out assessments to determine the impact of the program. From their most recent assessment, school absenteeism was reduced by 74%, which has improved academic performance amongst girls in school by 55%!

Selected again as one of the nation’s best non-profits in which Canadians can confidently invest

Nov. 12, 2024 – For the sixth year in a row, Lifewater Canada has been included among Canada’s 10 best charities in terms of the impact achieved on behalf of donors.

The Ontario-based charity that drills and repairs water wells in Africa and Haiti received the Top-10 selection again from Charity Intelligence, an independent organization that regularly monitors and evaluates the performance of more than 800 Canadian charities. Charity Intelligence posted its Top 10 list for 2024 today at www.charityintelligence.ca.

On its website, Charity Intelligence says: “Most charities claim that they ‘make a difference’ in the lives of those they work with, but it is very difficult for donors to tell how much of a difference any given charity is making. Charity Intelligence’s rigorous analysis measures this difference, or the impact, charities actually make to see how each dollar we (as donors) give can create the most positive change.”

Charity Intelligence estimates that Lifewater and the other nine charities in the Top 10 list are delivering average returns of more than $7 for every dollar donated, compared with an overall average among all Canadian charities of $1.50 for each dollar donated. However, Charity Intelligence says Lifewater is generating much more – $11 of impact – for every dollar donated.

“On behalf of our donors, we at Lifewater place a very high priority on cost-effectiveness and
accountability,” says Lifewater Canada president Lynda Gehrels.

“That’s why our overhead costs are consistently well below 10% each year, and why each completed project – even a relatively simple pump repair – has a dedicated page on our website where donors can see the tangible impact of their support through photos, a map, GPS coordinates, technical data, a brief profile of the benefiting community, and a thank-you letter from the community.”

In addition to including Lifewater in its Top 10 overall impact list, Charity Intelligence again included Lifewater among a list of the top 10 Canadian charities focused on international relief and development.

“To be rated so highly by Charity Intelligence year after year is a testament to the highly dedicated, life-changing work of our drilling and repair teams in Liberia, Kenya, Nigeria, and Haiti,” Gehrels said. They are local people – trained and equipped by Lifewater – who are passionate about providing safe water. Their jobs often keep them away from their families for long periods. It is a privilege to support them.”

Thanks to these overseas teams’ efforts, and the generosity of its supporters, Lifewater has undergone dramatic growth in the six years since its first Top 10 selection by Charity Intelligence. Whereas in fiscal 2019 Lifewater drilled 93 new wells, it drilled 421 in fiscal 2024; and whereas it repaired 353 hand pumps in fiscal 2019 (so older wells could produce safe water again), it repaired 4,367 in fiscal 2024.

In total, Lifewater has completed more than 18,000 water projects that have benefited almost 8.5 million children and adults so far.

As Lynda Gehrels noted, each completed water project has a dedicated page on the www.lifewater.ca website with photos, GPS coordinates, information about the benefiting community, and a thank-you note from community leaders – so donors can easily see what impact their support is achieving.

Lifewater also posts regularly updated data concerning the number of total beneficiaries, local economic impact, additional hours in school each month for children who no longer need to walk long distances every day to fetch water and how many additional hours girls are in the classroom to improve their lives.

Unsafe water is a leading cause of disease and death throughout the world. The World Health
Organization says at least 1.7 billion people (almost one in four) on the planet is drinking water each day contaminated by feces, and over half a million people (most of them children) are dying each year from diarrheal diseases caused by contaminated water and inadequate sanitation and hygiene.

Lifewater is responding to this ongoing tragedy by drilling new wells and repairing old ones – including many installed by other organizations no longer available to provide support. Lifewater also constructs community toilets, installs hand-washing stations, and provides health and hygiene training.

About Charity Intelligence:

Charity Intelligence researches Canadian charities so donors can be informed and give intelligently. Its website features free reports on more than 800 Canadian charities. More than 500,000 Canadians use the site annually to evaluate Canadian charities. Through rigorous, independent research, Charity Intelligence assists Canada’s charitable sector in being more transparent, accountable, and focused on results.

About Lifewater Canada:

Lifewater Canada has been headquartered in Thunder Bay, ON, since its inception in 1997. Led by Jim Gehrels until his death in 2020, and by his wife Lynda since then, Lifewater has four part-time and four full-time employees spread across four Canadian provinces. All work from their homes to help ensure Lifewater’s administration, fundraising, and salary costs stay consistently below 10% of the total budget. Together, this small team coordinates water projects in Liberia, Kenya, Nigeria, and Haiti. To support Lifewater, go to www.lifewater.ca/donate.

For interviews or more information:

• Lynda Gehrels, President – lyndagehrels@lifewater.ca or (807) 622-4848
• Jeff Adams, Donor Relations Manager (West) – jeffadams@lifewater.ca or (403) 615-8747

For photos:

• Jeff Adams, Donor Relations Manager – jeffadams@lifewater.ca or (403) 615-8747

For video B-roll:

• Go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb1Tbv5cXO0

Most of the systems (including 10,000-litre storage tanks) have been installed at schools or in other community settings, while other smaller systems have been located alongside people’s homes.

The original intent was that the stored water would be used for both drinking and sanitation needs. But during an evaluation in 2023 and the first part of 2024, we concluded that many schools, communities, and sometimes families weren’t keeping the storage tanks clean enough for the water coming from them to be considered safe for drinking.

In response, we have begun encouraging schools, communities, and families to use the water from their tanks only for operating toilets, hand-washing, and other sanitation needs.

Meanwhile, we still welcome donations for rainwater harvesting and storage systems, but with the understanding that the water from them is for sanitation — which is still vital for human survival — rather than for drinking.

After completing my Lifewater training, desperate to make a mark, I began attempting to construct a truck-mounted drilling rig. My thoughts were clear: I would drill commercially and plunge the profits into community wells for Nigeria’s rural population.

I remember the trip to Kano to buy a Bedford truck and how, for three days, the truck continually malfunctioned. I’d been tricked into buying a truck that was not okay. There was collusion between the mechanic I trusted and traveled with and the seller. We were still in Kano when the truck began to give trouble.

This would be one of the most embarrassing situations in my life. I remember returning home without the truck and with just enough money to pay my fare. Weeks passed and God helped me to tow the truck to Abuja. Slowly, the truck repairs commenced while the rig was being constructed.

Every bit of my personal funds were channeled into my new vision of a truck-mounted drilling rig.

After months of praying and working, the rig construction was finished and the truck was fixed. We moved to the first site and the rig could not drill without breaking down and needing repairs. Days passed and we were still there.

The landowner decided it wasn’t worth the wait for his well, so I refunded him his money and returned to the workshop for badly needed attention.

I was an angry person and quarreled with everything around me out of frustration. More money was needed and I had none. Then I took out a loan and pushed that into the rig rebuilding. Months passed and the builder was sure the rig was ready. An uncle contracted me to drill a well for his hotel in Masaka. He paid in cash but it was another nightmare. The rig could not drill a hole let alone find water. The experience broke me physically and spiritually.

Dejected and very scared because I had debts to pay, I put the rig up for sale. Who would buy a rig in such a condition? Months passed before the first person showed interest. He said he didn’t have cash but would pay through three post-dated cheques. In a hurry to put the rig-building experience behind me and meet my debt obligations, I accepted his offer. He insisted he needed to take the rig away because he had urgent drilling jobs.

The first month ended, I rushed to the bank and presented the first post-dated cheque which turned out to be dud. It would take two years after the buyer took the rig away for me to get my money, and that was only after police threats and court action was imminent.

Earlier, I’d set goals for myself. I wanted to start by drilling three new wells each month while also repairing the broken hand pumps on another 10 wells.

But by 2018, after suffering so much failure, I decided there was no point in dreaming any longer about helping my people get safe water. Totally discouraged, I hung up my work boots and gave away my tools so I could focus completely on my teaching and family responsibilities. I was done with drilling.

Then in 2020, I crossed paths with Lifewater Canada again. This time, they were offering me the opportunity to form a small team, rent a drilling rig, and begin drilling wells and repairing pumps.

Since then, this partnership has flourished.

In only 20 months, our team has drilled 260 wells (averaging 13 per month), rehabilitated 414 broken-down wells (averaging 20.7 per month, and repaired about 50 hand pumps (averaging 2.5 per month).

Lifewater Nigeria is now a registered non-government organization with 18 employees working in partnership with Lifewater Canada from a dedicated compound with administration offices and secure storage for four vehicles, drilling equipment, new pumps, tools, and much more.

Our projects now include important health and hygiene training for each community. And this week, I will travel to Kenya to share my drilling experience with new Lifewater Canada partners there.

When I remember how discouraged I was in 2018, less than two years ago, I am overwhelmed and full of tears of joy. Thank you, Lifewater Canada and your donors, for being the answer to the prayer I stopped praying.

The Latest Update from Hosea

In June 2024, Hosea sent us this follow-up letter:

I am writing to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Lifewater Canada for the generous donation towards the purchase of a new drill rig for Lifewater Nigeria. Your support has not only provided us with a vital source but has also strengthened and empowered us more to carry out our shared mission to provide clean and safe water to communities in need in Nigeria.

The new rig is a significant enhancement to our operations. It will enable us to expand our reach and efficiency, ensuring that more people have access to this essential resource. Your generosity directly impacts the lives of countless individuals and families — fostering health, hope, and development in the communities we serve.

Your commitment to our cause is deeply inspiring. The impact of this donation cannot be overstated, as it directly translates to better health, improved sanitation, and greater hope for the communities we serve.

This journey began with an LS100 rig nearly 30 years ago, and I am so happy to be part of new this reality. I pledge to a lifetime of commitment to impacting the world and look forward to continuing our collaboration and making even greater strides in our mission to provide clean water and improve lives.

Riker Katchur says throwing a pie in his teacher’s face was the highlight of his six-month effort to raise $5,200 so Lifewater Canada could drill a well in Haiti.

“My teacher promised me that if I raised all the money by the end of the school year, she would let me ‘pie’ her in the face,” the 10-year-old said in August 2024. “In the end, I got to pie her with a coconut cream pie. It was hilarious!”

Why did Hailey Cyr, Riker’s Grade 4 Humanities teacher at Valley Creek School in northwest Calgary, agree to be Riker’s target?

“It was a way that I could continue to motivate Riker with a fun reward,” Hailey explains. “The year before, students got to pie certain teachers on “Pi Day” based on whoever knew the most digits to pi. Students LOVED it. I figured it was a fun way to help get all the students motivated to help Riker.

“The pie-ing took place the last week of school during lunch hour. I brought a whipped cream pie and students were allowed to come and watch if they wanted to. I believe most did. By the time I opened my eyes, Riker had already run out of the classroom! Kids were chanting and very excited.

“I was unfortunately not as prepared as I thought and forgot to bring an apron so the pie went all over my clothes and was covered for the rest of the day but it certainly made kids laugh all day so it was worth it.”

Months before that, Riker learned about the desperate need for safe water in Haiti and other parts of the developing world while watching videos online. After deciding he wanted to raise money to drill a well, he and his father Steve began searching the internet for a worthy charity.

They discovered Lifewater, which has been ranked among Canada’s 10 most impactful charities for five years in a row by Charity Intelligence, which monitors the performance of more than 850 Canadian not-for-profit organizations.

“We were surprised that Lifewater drills wells for much cheaper than other organizations,” Riker says. “When we did more research, we were very excited to learn that you train local teams to build the wells. We were also very excited that you work in Haiti, because my family has a legacy of helping there.”

In the video that Riker and Steve created to promote his fundraising, the boy notes his family’s ties to Haiti go back four generations – “from my great-grandparents building hospitals and schools, to my grandparents leading teams to build infrastructure, to my mom and uncles traveling to Haiti to volunteer since they were kids, to the sponsored children my family helps to take care of, a legacy of making a difference exists. I want to be part of that legacy.”

Riker certainly is now that Lifewater has drilled a well at an impoverished Haitian school known as Ecole Evangelique Baptist. The well is providing safe water to more than 400 students and staff, plus about 300 people living in the surrounding area.

When asked to describe the most challenging aspects of gathering so much money in a relatively short time, Riker says it was organizing the many “lemonade-stand fundraisers” plus “making presentations in front of crowds of people.”

But all that work and stress were worth it, he adds, when people were so generous and when he saw photos of the smiling, grateful students at Ecole Evangelique Baptist after clear water started flowing from their new well.

What does he want for the people there?

“That the children can learn, be happy, and have more time to play (and) that their families would be healthy, happy, and have more time to make their lives better.”

Now that the well in Haiti is done, it might be tempting for Riker to focus entirely on his favourite pastimes including soccer, hiking, camping, biking, board games, video games, and playing the ukulele and piano. But instead, he’s begun seeking donations for another well. This has meant doubling his original fundraising goal. It’s now $10,400.

“My new goal is to raise enough money to drill a new well every year,” Riker says. He noted that to donate, people can go here.

Will there be more teachers at his school willing to be “pie-ed” to help with the cause?

“I can’t say I’d be interested in being pie-ed again,” Hailey says, “but I am sure he could convince another teacher!”

No individual or organization has a longer, more consistent history of supporting Lifewater Canada, and therefore the people of Africa and Haiti who desperately need safe water, than a small group of very dedicated fundraisers in Truro, Nova Scotia.

They are collectively known as the Water of Life Project. In June 2024, they celebrated 20 years of giving to Lifewater Canada. During that time, the group has fully or partially funded 63 water projects in Africa and Haiti. The projects are benefiting an estimated 50,000 children and adults, some of whom would have undoubtedly died without Water of Life’s help.

It was back in September of 2003 that Placide Chiasson was watching a television program about the challenges of trying to stay alive without access to safe water.

“I asked in prayer what I could do to help,” the retired teacher recalled recently. “I believe His Holy Spirit inspired me. My wife and I met our parish minister to discuss how to proceed. We scheduled a meeting with interested individuals from different denominations, resulting in the formation of a committee to move forward.”

Then they began investigating charitable organizations involved in drilling and repairing wells.

“Ina Major, who was our treasurer for 18 years, searched the internet and Lifewater Canada really stood out,” Placide said.

“It was a Canadian volunteer-based organization, and the percentage of funds raised that were directly used to provide water, education, and sanitation was very high. They partnered with the communities in the truest sense. They were transparent with the use of funds. They seemed to genuinely care for those in need and wanted to help them help themselves.”

The first Lifewater project that Water of Life helped to fund was a new well in Liberia in 2004. Since then, Water of Life has been involved in drilling 46 more wells, rehabilitating six broken-wells (including replacing failed hand pumps), repairing another seven pumps, installing a rainwater harvesting and storage system, plus two purchases of some vital drilling equipment.

How does Water of Life raise so much money – and achieve so much impact?

“We work with churches, schools and organizations,” Placide explained. “Each year, we contact our partners and other possible (fundraising) groups to inform them of what was accomplished the previous year.”

Water of Life passes along copies of project-completion certificates – plus photos and thank-you letters from the benefiting communities in Africa or Haiti – that Lifewater has provided.

“The certificates are in display on their walls,” Placide said. “We are in constant contact during the year when various fundraisers are done in support of the Water of Life Project.”

Placide is one of several volunteers who also make presentations in area schools, churches, and other settings to introduce Nova Scotians to the water challenges millions of people face in Africa and Haiti, and the role Lifewater Canada is playing in saving lives.

To raise money, schools and churches and individuals have sold bottled water, organized bake sales, craft sales, dances, plays, and other activities. In June of 2024, to celebrate 20 years of giving, Water of Life Project organized another round of activities including a walk-a-thon. All-told, these activities generated an additional $4,235 for Lifewater and our safe-water mission.

One of the walk-a-thon participants was Beckie Burrows from Old Barns United Church that has been supporting Water of Life Project for several years.

“We know we’re making a difference and that means a lot,” Beckie told The Casket, the region’s online newspaper. “We see pictures of what is done with the money we help raise.”

In looking back over the last two decades, Placide says one of the highlights was when Lifewater Canada co-founder Jim Gehrels and his wife Lynda visited Truro to thank Water of Life for its persistent, sacrificial efforts to ease the plight of thirsty Africans and Haitians.

“They visited the elementary schools and high schools. We had lunch with them. Everyone was encouraged and motivated by their honest, heartfelt, transparent presentations.”

Jim Gehrels died in 2020, 23 years after establishing Lifewater. By then, with help from Water of Life and many other supporters, the charity had completed about 5,000 water projects. In the four years since then, with Lynda Gehrels as president, Lifewater has completed 11,000 more.

Are the people at Water of Life Project growing tired of raising money for Lifewater? No, Placide said.

“Every day and every year that we come in contact with our regular partners and are introduced to new helpers is a highlight. These people want to be informed and take action to make a difference for people in Africa and Haiti who are in need of safe and accessible water. We want to thank Lifewater Canada for enabling us to partner with them in this life-saving work.

And we, in turn, deeply thank Water of Life and its amazing group of dedicated volunteers.