Increasing Access to Clean Water

785 million people (one in ten people worldwide) lack access to clean water, and the majority of them live in sub-Saharan Africa.

World Health Organization, Drinking Water Statistics, 2019 

Access to clean water is a right that is too easily taken for granted – especially if you’re accustomed to indoor plumbing. In our partner communities, water must be collected from shared sources, an effort that takes, on average, over 2.5 hours per day. These sources are often open, which means there is no protection from bacteria and pollutants, increasing the likelihood of water-borne diseases that kill over 485,000 people every year. Water-borne illness affects economic activity and of course school attendance – all of which perpetuates the cycle of poverty.

What we do

The Sonder Project partners with rural communities to drill closed-system wells and install water pumps to access freshwater aquifers deep underground. Upon the completion of a Sonder Project well, community members report the following impact:

  • A time savings of 1.5 hours per day collecting water
  • 98% report less illness (2% no change)

Increased access to clean water is life-changing, especially for women and children, as they are most commonly tasked with collecting it. For the young, this translates into more time spent in the classroom. For women, now have more time to earn a living, care for family members, and tend to other responsibilities. Imagine having an additional hour and a half of time added to your day!

Deep, underground aquifers are part of a closed-water system in which bacteria and pollutants are naturally filtered out, resulting in clean water for drinking, washing, cleaning, and cooking. Access to them means less illness and greater productivity for the community at large. It means less absence from school and a healthier environment.

Join us to make an impact!

SONDER WELL NEWS

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Makilina’s Story

Meet Makilina Mwale, a resident of the Chawa community in the Kasungu District of Malawi. The...

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At 60 years old, Margaretia Mwale was supposed to live her golden years simply, at home looking out for herself and her husband, with regular visits from her children and grandchildren, some of whom stayed in the community.

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WORLD WATER DAY 2021

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Agness Mwale used to wake up at 2 am, gather her water containers, and walk down to the dry river bed to collect water for her 7-person household. Because it was a dry river, the process was not as simple as just putting your bucket in the water and watching it fill-up.

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