A borehole costs US$1,750 for a village of over 1,000 people in Andhra Pradesh, India. In other words, for less than $2, half the cost of a coffee, it is possible to gift 1 person clean, safe water for decades. The alternative is for women and children to continue long hot treks to unsafe water sources, often shared with animals. The 6 boreholes in Phase I of the BridgIT Water Foundation's 2018 Andhra Pradesh Water Project will cost-effectively bring safe, clean water to over 6,000 people.
Dalit people in rural areas of Andhra Pradesh, India are trapped in extreme poverty. The people can escape from this trap, but they need the time and resources. Water wells in the villages are one way to recapture the hours spent fetching water every day. People are resourceful, and when they are granted time, they can fill it by starting or expanding businesses to increase family incomes. This can improve nutrition, keep children in school, and provides an avenue out of extreme poverty
Working with local NGOs and experienced well drillers, BridgIT Water Foundation has already constructed 26 wells in Andhra Pradesh, including 12 last year. Scope of work includes drilling a bore and installing a simple hand pump. Project activities include geological surveys, drilling the borehole, platform construction with run-off channel, hand pump installation, water tests, community WASH training and education, and training water user committees on the use and sustainability of equipment.
BridgIT Water Foundation is a volunteer foundation dedicated to bringing people in the developing world the human right of safe, clean water. The beauty of its water projects in India is that BWF can complete wells serving villages of about 1,000 people for $1,750, or <$2/pp. Your tax-deductible contribution is key to bringing the basic resource of potable water to the people. BWF wants you to be a support of more AP Water Project phases, so it will work hard to report on the Phase I progress.
