Clean Water Organizations
GFA World follows through on its clean water charity work by making sure that once it drills a Jesus Well, the well continues to work for decades. This kind of commitment isn’t always realized in other clean water organizations; some organizations just drill a well and leave the village without ensuring there is someone to maintain it.
Hundreds of millions of dollars have been wasted on water projects by other clean water organizations in rural Africa because the tens of thousands of boreholes with motorized pumps that have been installed haven’t been properly maintained.[1] Instead, these wells have fallen into disrepair. For example, only 33 out of 52 deep water borehole systems built in the 1980s by a charity in Senegal’s Kaolack region still work.[2] With non-working wells, people in these communities can easily fall into the same cycle of poverty and disease that the wells were meant to help pull them out of.
At GFA World, we care for our Jesus Wells as a community. Members of local churches lubricate hand pumps and are trained to replace parts when necessary. They also cut grass and present a clean area around the well so that it’s a welcoming place to gather in the community.
GFA World drilled one of the first Jesus Wells in 2000 in a struggling South Asian village. Before the well was installed, villagers daily walked miles to gather water. This chore caused children to miss school and women to miss out on work. The contaminated water also caused illnesses.
For more than 20 years, Pastor Sameen has maintained this well. He says it hasn’t been easy, but he is incredibly proud and happy to continue to provide clean water for his community.[3]
Villagers experience GFA World’s Jesus Wells as a blessing, and they often come to know the Word of God through the wells, which each bear a plaque with John 4:13-14. Many villagers ask the local pastor or fellow villagers about the Bible passage, which talks about living water, and come to know about Jesus through these wells.
Learn more about clean water charity[1] “Where every drop counts: tackling rural Africa’s water crisis.” Iied Publications Library. https://pubs.iied.org/17055iied. March 2009.
[2] “Africa’s Water Crisis: A Quarter of a Billion Dollars Down the Drain.” International Institute for Environment and Development. March 20, 2009. https://www.iied.org/africas-water-crisis-quarter-billion-dollars-down-drain.
[3] “The First Jesus Well: Still Going Strong for 20 Years.” GFA World. https://www.gfa.org/videos/first-jesus-well/. August 2022.