WATER WELLS FOR AFRICA
First water. Water first.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Resolving a silent emergency. There is more than enough fresh water in the world for domestic use, agriculture, and industry. However, the poor are largely excluded from what we'd consider this globally recognized “human right.” The millions forced to collect water from drains, ditches, and streams suffer a life-threatening deprivation that destroys opportunity and severely undermines human dignity. And it can be solved. Across much of the developing world unclean water is an immensely greater threat to human security than violent conflict. Sadly, children's vulnerability makes them the greatest bearers of this tragedy. Each year an estimated 2.2 million children die from diarrhea and 443 million school days are lost to water-related illnesses. Most notably - this crisis could be prevented by providing three fundamental functions: delivering clean water, removing waste water, and providing sanitation. WWFA is doing this, today. We work even as you read this description.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Water Wells
We supply water to people in Malawi according to their need and our resources. We often serve the most remote communities in a region, helping people who are isolated by terrain and distance--but who desperately need clean water.
Once we locate a community or school in need and raise the funds to give them a well, there are three phases to the building of each well: village committee formation, civil works pump installation, and maintenance and hygiene training.
Water is the foundation of health and independence, and has an immediate impact on every part of rural life. Each of our wells can easily serve the basic daily needs of 500 or more people. We use equipment proven to last for 20+ years. This means our wells not only save lives, but do so in an extremely efficient manner and for multiple generations.
Education and Outreach
WWFA educates the public about the plight of people in rural African villages without clean and easy-to-reach water. We share information through presentations, videos, printed materials, social media, local events, and our organizational website.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of water wells installed:
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Children and youth, Extremely poor people
Related Program
Water Wells
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Includes location scouting, permit/review completion, borehole drilling, building cement foundation, pump installation, maintenance committee training, water celebration with community!
Community hygiene training completed prior to well competion.
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Children and youth
Related Program
Water Wells
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
We have created an entire "Homemade Hygiene" program, and ensure that in conjunction with fresh water, people understand the importance of hand-washing, charcoal in latrines, etc.
Number of people receiving safe drinking water from community systems
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Children and youth, Extremely poor people
Related Program
Water Wells
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Clean, fresh, healthy, sustainable water for everyone in Malawi. Improved sanitation practices working in conjunction with fresh water to eliminate borne/water-related illness. Once we've accomplished that, we'll take care of the rest of the world....
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
As funding and resources permit, we will continue to give water to people in Malawi.
We raise funds in the USA to pay for equipment (drilling supplies, cement pads, well hardware, etc.), and use a local contractor to conduct most of the work. We have two full-time African staff members who do the scouting of locations; coordinate with water recipients, contractors, and governments as necessary; help maintain accurate records for funds spent on our projects; and basically keep our operations--and clean water--flowing.
We give communities clear, close, clean water - and education that improves their overall hygiene and health. Importantly: while we create lasting relationships with our recipients, but we also empower them to full independence by training a tribe-selected Maintenance Committee responsible for ongoing pump maintenance and repair...which is minimal but crucial. Our first wells were installed in 1996, and STILL provide life-giving water today.
Each of the wells WWFA installs gives fresh, clean water to about 500 people. We’ve proven the dependability of our equipment over decades and know that our pumps will last for 20 years or more. Technically each pump could serve more people, but to protect local water tables and ensure the durability of each pump (a significant investment) we keep numbers sustainable. However, we seek to do as much good as possible, and our planning process includes a local needs assessment. Depending on need we sometimes place additional wells on other nearby water sources so that no single pump becomes overused or water table depleted.
We’ve made a clear decision as an organization: When necessary, we will place more “wells per person” because that is what will bring the greatest long-term relief and water stability to the people we serve. Our wells actually last so long that people sometimes relocate to be near them.
The population of most Malawian villages is in the hundreds rather than thousands of people, so we work with federal and regional governments, as well as local leaders, to maximize the positive impact of each well we install. Our systematic location selection process helps accomplish our “most people served” goals, by placing new wells in places easily accessible by multiple communities. The WWFA team members have become specialists at bringing water to people in the most remote and difficult areas – places other water providers often avoid. We often go where others won’t – literally.
We usually will not install a well unless it will serve 50 or more families, and we strive for each well to meet the needs of at least 100 families. Average family size in Malawi is 5, so when roughly calculated this means each well helps approximately 500 residents along with travelers passing through the well site. We track the actual number of families in most villages served, and use averages when we don’t know the exact number of residents in an area.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Since 1996, we have had an organization in the USA setup and supporting on-the-ground programs in Malawi, helping to give water to people there.
We currently place 24-28 new wells--start to finish--each year.
Our capacity has grown thanks to our wonderful supporters, and our growing network of resources in Malawi. We have well established relationships with suppliers, well-drillers, government officials at all levels, and the support of many tribes and councils.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
In 2018, we provided life-giving water to approximately 16,500 more people through the completion of 33 new wells -- and we expect these thousands of people to have that water for the next 20 years.
Water wells for Africa is both our name and our mission, and to date -- with the help of our wonderful supporters -- WWFA has placed 203 wells that continue to serve about 325,750 people with fresh, life-giving water even as you read this. We’re saving lives, increasing independence and growth, and putting healthy smiles on faces across the country of Malawi.
Our success only makes us want to accomplish more. Given adequate resources, WWFA would give every human on the planet clean water, but pragmatism leads us to where we can do the greatest good.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We act on the feedback we receive
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
The only challenge is logistical; getting to the rural hard-to-reach places.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
WATER WELLS FOR AFRICA
Board of directorsas of 12/26/2022
Mr. Kurt Dahlin
Reid Powell
Casey McGill
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Not applicable -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? No -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as: