Water - the gift of life - for children in Darfur

Three new handpumps have been completed in Kids for Kids villages! Deshma and Hillat Adam Bakhit villages, adopted in 2015, each have a new handpump, as well as Um Keddada village, adopted in 2016. You will know that building handpumps requires a lot of time and is very difficult, even though there is an aquifer (water reservoir) under Darfur. We have a wonderful arrangement with the State Water Corporation (WES) in Darfur that they will re-drill if they do not initially hit ground water that is suitable for building a clean water handpump. Sometimes there is water, but it is not fit for human consumption.  In some villages WES has re-drilled three to four times.   This is a costly exercise and we are very grateful to them for helping in this way.  The WES are committed to providing a handpump as close to a village as possible, and these three new handpumps are within the villages themselves.

Before we build a clean water handpump the community must form a Water Committee, chosen through democratic election, whose job it will be to supervise the pumps, construct and maintain the fence and trough, keep the pumps in a hygienic condition, and carry out any repairs that may be needed. Now that these three pumps have been built, the committee, with ongoing help from the community, is responsible for ensuring their success.   Kids for Kids philosophy is to help people to help themselves.

In our last report we mentioned there was drought in Darfur and the previous harvest had failed. Well we are pleased to tell you that the rains have finally arrived in almost every Kids for Kids village, and people are planting.  However, these coming months will be the worst yet: known as the ‘hungry months’.   The rain has started, grass is beginning to grow, sparse as yet, and people are working the land, but it will be months before there is food to eat.  The problems facing families in Darfur are unimaginable – but we can do something. 

With your help we have built over 80 clean water handpumps, which is incredible. These are providing drinkable water for both people and animals - but we must build more. We need funds as soon as possible so we can provide handpumps for our 5 new villages. Can you please make our work known to your friends, colleagues, schools, and community groups and get them involved in raising funds to give children clean, drinkable water? We are such a small charity effecting huge change, but we need your help in moving people to hold Bake Sales, Walks for Water, and any other small fundraisers! Every penny makes a difference - and anyone can help!