WATER IS BASIC

Our goal is to empower local leaders to provide clean, safe water within reasonable access to every person in South Sudan and Kibumba, DRC through borehole drilling, well restoration projects, and the development of rain catchment systems.

Since our first borehole was drilled on July 28, 2008, Water is Basic’s goal has been to work with the leadership and communities in South Sudan and DRC to provide clean safe water.

The primary strategies consist of the following:

1. Work with local leadership to assess locations where water points are needed.
2. Provide the equipment for new boreholes, repairs, or rain catchment systems and skilled local labor.
3. Drill new boreholes, repair broken boreholes and construct rain catchment systems providing water to last throughout the dry seasons.
4. Equip community members to establish committees consisting of 50% of women to oversee each water point.

On July 28, 2008, a local team of South Sudanese drilled our first borehole at Nehemiah Academy in Yei South Sudan. By 2013, 500 wells were drilled across South Sudan. In 2013 the Civil war broke out, and we pivoted. Soon we were rapidly repairing the thousands of unproductive wells suffering from neglect or in need of simple maintenance. Today we have completed 1,155 water well projects reaching more than 1,500,000 South Sudanese.

With our success at finding local solutions, Our work has carried into Burundi and Kibumba, DRC. In Burundi, we solved a water problem in several IDP camps by drilling new boreholes.

In Kibumba, DRC, where 30,000 people were walking up to 20 miles for water, accessing water was more complicated. Most just chose to drink from the runoff holes nearby, and everyone was sick.

However, within a year, we trained local leaders and distributed Sawyer water filters to 5,000 households in Kibumba. Now the local team is adding 10,000-liter rain catchment systems across Kibumba and surrounding areas so communities will have water to last through the dry season.

WiB has a long history of working with local communities in developing and maintaining their water systems. Since 2008, when we finished our first well in South Sudan, WIB has brought safe, clean water to over 1,500,000 people living in South Sudan.

Because of our proven ability to provide clean water solutions in high-risk areas, Water is Basic collaborated with the ALARM-DRC (African Leaders in Reconciliation Ministries) to implement solutions in areas of great need in The Democratic Republic of Congo. Specific to this project, our work in DRC has brought water to 30,000 people with the distribution of Sawyer Water Filters and the construction of rain catchment systems, eliminating the need for community members to enter Virunga National Park for water.

Since our first borehole was drilled on July 28, 2008, we have completed 1,156 water well projects reaching more than 1,500,000 South Sudanese. In Burundi, 10 wells were drilled solving a water problem in several IDP camps and communities. In Kibumba, DRC, 5,000 households (30,000 people) received water filtration systems (with the requisite raining) and 56 communities now have rain catchment systems.

Every project has been led by local leaders who have, in turn, empowered the communities to build committees to maintain each water point.
Total Project completed as of June 2020:

- 501 New wells drilled in South Sudan and Burundi
- 655 wells repaired in South Sudan
- 56 rain catchment systems constructed in Kibumba, DRC
- 10,000 Sawyer water filtration systems distributed in South Sudan
- 5,000 Sawyer water filtration systems distributed in Kibumba, DRC

It's been 12 years since our first borehole, and we continue to focus on local solutions. We are now working on a women lead, small business franchise model of well repair in South Sudan.

In DRC, we are continuing with the construction of rain catchment systems, and aim to complete 500 by 2025.