After visiting Niger as a tourist in January, 2000, Bess Palmisciano, a lawyer by trade, founded the non-profit RAIN for the Sahel and Sahara to address the needs of these people. She is a very hands-on director of the organization and was recently honored as one of New Hampshire’s “Most Remarkable Women of the World 2011” for her work in Niger.
Since the beginning of WaterAid’s project in Kibaigwa, the Board of Trustees has been able to expand the clean water network by increasing the number of communal water points from 24 to 46, increasing private connections from 3 to 339, and drilling one additional borehole fitted with a new pump. As a result, water supply is more efficient and is now available 24 hours a day. Revenue collection is also more effective because clean water connections are metered. In addition, new regulations prohibit people from washing items directly under the tap because this wastes water and is a bad practice for environmental hygiene.
The idea came to Becky Straw and Jody Landers, Co-Founders of the Adventure Project, from members of her organization, known affectionately as the “Tribe.” One week before World Water Day (March 22nd) blog writers proposed a challenge to raise $10,000 in one day by promoting the Adventure Project’s latest initiative: repairing broken water pump handles in northern India. The anticipated results of the initiative are twofold. By bringing wells that have fallen into disrepair back into use, 300 more people per month (3,600 per year) will have access to clean water. In addition, the initiative will provide training and jobs to enable unemployed people to lift themselves out of poverty.
The world’s supply of fresh water has not increased since biblical times. We are destroying an irreplaceable commodity essential to life while increasing demand at an uncontrolled, alarming rate.