Water charity launches crowdfunding campaign to build a borehole for African village

Herefordshire-based clean water charity Hope Spring launched a crowdfunding campaign today with the aim of raising £500 to build a borehole for a water-poor African village in Nigeria.

The fundraising campaign was launched on the new crowdfunding platform Donr.

The £500 crowdfunding effort will be added to money already raised by the residents of a village called Gaa Dare, in North Western Nigeria, to construct a hand pump powered borehole. At present, women and children of Gaa Dare have to walk a round trip of over two miles to fetch water from a well in the neighbouring village.

UN figures suggest that women & girls spend 40 billion hours a year collecting water in sub-Saharan Africa. The time spent collecting water could be put to productive use such as education if a simple water source such as a well is near a community. Truancy from girls is also reduced when the water source is closer to home.

According to Hope Spring founder Temi Odurinde, one of the grimmest statistics associated with communities that lack access to clean water is the very high infant mortality rate. According to UN figures, a child dies every minute of the day because of issues related to lack of access to clean water or adequate sanitation. Helping the people of Gaa Dare to build a borehole in their community will help them to take control, prevent diseases and save time lost due to the current absence of clean water.

The cornerstone of Hope Spring water charity's poverty alleviation strategy is to empower developing communities by helping them develop a clean water source in their community. Once a community like Gaa Dare has their own borehole, children will be free from water-fetching duties and can go to school and learn. Getting an education will help the next generation break the poverty cycle they are born into and have a better future.

Donors and sponsors who wish to help Hope Spring Water make the Gaa Dare villagers' dream of a safe, clean water supply possible can make a donation at Hope Spring's crowdfunding page on Donr.

You can find more information about Hope Spring water projects, and connect with them on their Facebook page.