My Trip to the Central African Republic with Water for Good

Jim Daniels recently joined NAHAD’s Board of Directors and provided this blog on his experience travelling with Water for Good, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing clean and lasting water for every man, woman and child in the Central African Republic (CAR).

Access to clean water is something that most of us don’t think about on a daily basis. I turn on my faucet to wash my hands or get a glass of water without a second thought as to whether it is clean water or if the water will make me sick. However, a recent trip changed how I think about water.

The Facts about Water Poverty

As a part of the Water for Good organization, I was able to take a trip to the Central African Republic (CAR) to see first-hand the water crisis I had heard about for a long time. I knew the statistics about water poverty: just under 663 million in the world lack access to clean water, and this water poverty leads to many water-borne illnesses and ultimately, increased morbidity rates in these areas.

One of the most alarming numbers however, is that an estimated 60 percent of water projects in Africa fail, due to a lack of systems to maintain and repair the wells when they break (which they do and will). So when I heard about Water for Good, I was intrigued by their commitment to long-term sustainability, by working through locals, to maintain the wells indefinitely.

The Mechanics of Clean Water

Getting to see this commitment lived out in the CAR was an incredible experience. The level of expertise and excellence demonstrated by the local Water for Good staff in CAR is second to none. Learning more about the mechanics of the wells and pumps made me appreciate the work it takes to provide clean water in one of the world’s poorest countries. I was able to firsthand help fix a well that had been broken for two years, and it was such a gratifying experience.

This also made me appreciate the relationship NAHAD has with charity:water, which helps support Water for Good. These water partners are literally saving lives, each and every day, and we get to be a part of it.

The Solution

Water for Good is committed to providing access to clean water for every person in the CAR by 2030 and to provide it in a way that will provide long-term stability for access. At any given moment, over 90 percent of the wells they maintain are working, and this is key to eliminate water poverty in the CAR. 

Water for Good 2018 Accomplishments

• 70 new wells
• 1871 unique water points visited by maintenance program (3,380 total visits)
• 35,000 new people having access to clean water and 950,000 with continued clean water flowing

How Can You Help

As a member of NAHAD, opportunities to support water charities already exist by making donations of money and time.  At the most recent NAHAD Convention, NAHAD hosted a Casino Night where all the proceeds went to charity:water.  Over $4,000 was raised which will be dispersed to water charities worldwide, and to date, NAHAD has raised more than $25,000.  I am proud to be part of Water for Good and NAHAD, two organizations committed to providing a permanent solution to a life-or-death problem.