Wells

Information on Wells that “Skirts for Clean Water” supports:

The wells cost about $600 each to build. They are called “bore wells” because they are drilled to

a depth of 35 -150 or more feet to find a good source of water. Almost all are hand pumped but

some have an additional electric pump to help when electricity is available. The wells are often

placed near existing churches but are open to all villagers.

The Need:

They have been placed in villages that do not have ready access to clean water. Many times

you will see villagers using the same murky, polluted water to bath, wash, clean, cook and drink

because they have little other options. The result is that they bear the brunt of many water born

diseases including dysentery (amoebic & bacterial), cholera, diarrhea, typhoid, polio, hepatitis

A, ascariasis, guinea worm, and schistosomiasis. The children are the most effected and over a

million die each year from polluted water. 

In some villages, wells are controlled by upper caste Hindus who don’t readily share with lower

caste people. In other places the wells have been polluted by salt water from shrimp farms.

Women bear the burden of gathering water for their families. Sometimes they have to walk great

distances to collect water from river sources or wells that they have access to. The heavy load of

water on their heads or hips can cause physical problems later in life. 

The Results:

We tend to take clean water coming straight out of a faucet for granted. It is hard for us to

understand the life changing difference having clean water coming out a pump in the middle of a

village actually makes for the people.