Access to clean, safe water is one of The Sonder Project’s most essential commitments—because we believe it is a basic human right, and because reliable water access transforms daily life for every member of a community. But ensuring long-term access requires more than drilling a well. It requires partnership, training, and local leadership capable of keeping water flowing year after year.
That is why, beginning in 2024, The Sonder Project expanded its clean water program to include a new and critical component: training community-based water mechanics. These men and women are equipped with tools, skills, and certification to repair and maintain wells in their own communities and beyond—making clean water access truly sustainable.
Training Local Technicians for Long-Term Impact
Trainees in a theory session led by Sonder Project well contractor and longtime partner, Mr Yougbare
Every water project begins with community engagement—confirming interest, establishing a water committee with equal representation of men and women, and ensuring that the community is committed to maintaining the well after construction. But maintenance requires more than intention. It requires trained expertise.
In the past, villages often had to wait weeks or even months for an outside technician to repair a broken pump. Now, through The Sonder Project’s mechanic training initiative, communities have local, qualified repair teams who can restore water access quickly, safely, and independently.
Thus far in Burkina Faso, 27 mechanics from 14 communities have completed the program and begun offering repair services. Their impact is already transforming the region: thanks to their work, over 4,200 people now have more sustainable access to clean water.
Certified Technicians and Entrepreneurs
A group of new mechanics pose with their certificates in August 2025
The three-day training combines classroom instruction with hands-on fieldwork. Mechanics learn how to dismantle, clean, troubleshoot, and reassemble a well pump safely and efficiently. Each graduate receives a certification and a starter toolkit.
The technicians pledge to service all Sonder-drilled wells free of charge—ensuring every community supported by The Sonder Project has reliable access to clean water. Beyond that, they are encouraged to provide paid repair services for neighboring villages, creating new income streams for their families.
“Right after the training wrapped up, we couldn’t wait to get started repairing wells. We felt more than prepared,” one mechanic told us during a recent visit.
Among those trained are 7 women, including Fatimata—whose confidence, determination, and leadership have quickly made her a standout mechanic in the region.
Meet Fatimata
When we visited the mechanics, Fatimata and her team had just answered a call to repair a damaged well near a local school. As children gathered around, Fatimata calmly took the lead in diagnosing the issue.
A mother of two, Fatimata relies on farming and raising livestock to support her family—work made increasingly unpredictable by a changing climate. Becoming a well mechanic provided a new, reliable opportunity.
“Even during the farming season, if we get a call for a repair, we make sure to be there by the evening,” she told us as she worked. Her confidence comes from the training she completed—and the pride that comes with being someone her community can count on.
One story in particular captures her determination.
Sustainability in Action
Fatimata was attending a wedding in a nearby community when she noticed that guests were struggling to access water, even though a well stood nearby. She soon learned the pump had been broken for some time.
When she offered to repair it, she was met with doubt—some even laughed. But she returned home, gathered her tools, and came back soon thereafter. In front of onlookers who doubted her abilities, she dismantled the pump, diagnosed the problem, and fixed the well.
Clean water began to flow again.
Her work not only restored access to water that day—it reshaped expectations of who can be a technician, who can lead, and who holds expertise.
A Blossoming Business
After their first few repairs, word spread quickly. Communities began calling Fatimata and her colleagues for help. “Since our training, there hasn’t been a well we couldn’t fix. Our phones won’t stop ringing,” says Fatimata.
Most of the mechanics had limited formal education, and some had never attended school at all. But through this program, they have created something powerful: a professional repair service that supports families, keeps wells functioning, and strengthens the region’s entire water network.
The group has even organized its own small treasury. For every paid repair outside their home community, a portion of earnings is set aside for transportation and shared expenses. The rest helps pay for school fees, food, and livestock feed—directly improving the stability of their households.
With the seeds planted by The Sonder Project’s training program, these mechanics are building something lasting: reliable water access, improved livelihoods, and a model of sustainability powered by local leadership.
As one team member told us, “This work helps our families, helps other villages, and helps water keep flowing. It is good for everyone.”
You Can Help Increase Access to Sustainable Clean Water
The team pose with Sonder Project CEO Chad after repairing a well in Komsnedego, Burkina Faso
Clean, safe water is the foundation of healthier families, stronger communities, and lasting opportunity. When wells are built and maintained by trained local mechanics, communities gain reliable access that endures for years—not just months or seasons.
Your support helps ensure that water keeps flowing in the places that need it most.
How to Make an Impact Today:
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$35 Provides lasting access to safe water for one community member
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$240 Provides access to safe water for an entire family from a Sonder well
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$4,000 Trains 10+ well mechanics, expanding sustainability across 5+ communities
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$11,000 Drills a new Sonder well, delivering clean water to at least 300 people
Your support builds knowledge, jobs, and reliable clean water systems for years to come.
👉 Support clean water and mechanics training at: thesonderproject.org/opportunity