Safe Access to Clean Water
Safe access to clean water shouldn’t be a luxury but for millions in Somalia, it is.
Well construction, conducted by Mercy-USA with funds provided by private donations, has changed the lives of tens of thousands in Somalia.
Your generous charitable gift supports Mercy-USA’s work to bring clean water to Somalia.
Climate change has increased the severity of droughts and floods plaguing this once fertile land. Families thrived on herding livestock and farming that kept their children nourished and growing. Pollution created by others far away has wreaked havoc on the traditional pastoral lifestyle of the Somali people. Even though Somalis have no control over what happens when the rain doesn’t arrive, we can help them to survive by providing nearby access to a clean water source by building wells.
Mercy-USA believes that by helping rural and urban communities with the basic of life—clean water, we can make positive contributions to the entire country’s steps toward stability and a resurgence of prosperity. Safe access to clean water improves the lives of an entire community but most of all, it improves the quality of life for women and girls, as the chore of fetching water falls on them in this traditional society.
When a family lacks clean water
- Children get sick and die from contaminated water or have stunted growth and other complications from malnutrition.
- Girls end up spending half the day to fetch water and miss out on school.
- Families are forced to pay for water from their meager income meant for food.
Your gift of a well to a deserving community in Somalia will save lives.
Well construction, conducted by Mercy-USA with funds provided by private donations, has changed the lives of tens of thousands in Somalia. A nearby well gives time and safety to women and gives their daughters the same opportunity existing for education that their sons enjoy.
According to UNICEF research, only a third of Somali families have access to clean drinking water. Since 1997, Mercy-USA has played a vital role in providing safe drinking water in Somalia, digging and repairing over 800 wells. Communities with a combined population of over 750,000 persons are benefiting from this safe water program.
There are many ways you can help sponsor the establishment of a well in Somalia:
- Sponsor the construction and maintenance of a new well with a lump sum donation of $4,700 ($6,300 CAD) or spread out the payments over 12 or fewer months.
- Enlist friends or family to join you in funding a well in the name of a loved one; your community; school; or youth group.
- Your gift of any amount will go toward safe water for Somalia.