VILLAGE WATER PROJECT

village water project


Village Water is a charity created to find water supplies for people in remote areas of Africa, who will never benefit from mains water, villages that are too small to be included in projects by other organisations. It is a self-help charity, based on ownership by the communities - helping people to help themselves.

Old well
Life as it was before a new well and pump was supplied

Every penny given to Village Water is applied directly to the work in Africa; none is taken for Village Water administration. All UK personnel are volunteers, each giving their time freely and paying for their own flights to Zambia.

About this programme
Following an initial fact-finding visit to Zambia, a 5- year programme was launched in 2003 to bring fresh water and sanitation & hygiene to rural communities in the Western Province, the poorest part of one of the poorest countries in Africa.

Village Water is operating with a local partner that has established staff in Zambia and this partnership enables local project management and close monitoring.


To date, the Year 1 programme has achieved our target - there are three villages with brand-new water wells and a further 20 non-working pumps on old wells that have been replaced or repaired, benefiting a total of 4010 people.

Each of these communities has set up a village water committee, demonstrating their commitment to manage the water well, collecting subscriptions from the villagers to fund spare parts and the training of a pump-mender to keep the pump in good repair.

In addition, five “model villages” have been assisted to become proud examples of the benefits of good hygiene and sanitation - such as private latrines with hand-washing facilities that have helped to reduce rates of childhood diarrhoea by up to 80%.

Pump maintenance
George is trained by the Water Project to maintain and repair the pumps