Water - the gift of life - for children in Darfur

Thirst in Africa is a daily threat.   In Darfur, in the centre of Africa, where temperatures soar to over 50 degrees thirst can be a frightening reality.   2016 saw one of the worst droughts for many years across sub Saharan Africa and in the villages of Darfur, when all surface water had long since dried up, there were many months when every drop of water had to be collected from miles across the open searingly hot desert.  Many villagers, men, women, children and their animals, had to walk up to 20 miles for every drop.   Can you imagine how elated everyone in Hillat Kharif, Amar Gadid, Azagarfa, Abu Degeise, Dor Fazy and Hillat Hassan are because they now have a Kids for Kids' handpump - thanks to you.   

"We prayed for water every day of our lives"T said Sara " but never believed we really would get a handpump just outside our village.  It is a dream come true.   It is difficult to explain what a difference this has made to all our lives".   Sara is a grandmother.   She has struggled all her life with the deprivations of living in Darfur.    There is water underground but no village can afford to dig for it.  Water from a handpump is clean but when there is no pump people will do anything just to have a drink.   Haffirs - artificial water holes - are dirty.   Animals share the water.  People walk into them to be able to fill their containers.    Waterborne diseases kill many children.  They succumb quickly, the youngest first.  Children are even more vulnerable in years when malnutrition is endemic in every village.   "If we cannot instal a handpump close to a village because it is impossible to drill, then we will fund watercarts, pulled by the stronger crossbred donkeys - anything to make that terrible walk for water easier" said Patricia Parker MBE Founder of Kids for Kids.   Kids for Kids is now being asked to fund submersible pumps which provide water for up to four villages where the water is accessible.   This year we are also funding a pilot project for a pipeline - can you imagine that in a village that has never seen a tap - from the water source to our new Health Unit at Majoub A for our midwives and first aid workers.   Thank you everyone who is helping to make this possible. Dirty water is a killer, the lack of water is a killer - the fresh clean water you are helping Kids for Kids to provide is giving life in the desert.    Thank you,

Links:

• Why Water .... see why water is our top priority for children