Making History One Woman,
One Well at a Time
Courageous women repair water wells as a business in South Sudan
Studies show that women reinvest up to 90 percent of their income back into their families and their communities. By investing in women and girls, we create long-term social and economic benefits for all individuals, communities, and the world.
Even one more year in school makes a huge difference. A girl’s income will increase by up to 25% for every year she stays in school.
Over the years, we have heard the incredible stories of women; courageous women, bold women, traumatized women, and, yes, the impact clean water has on women’s lives.
So now we train those courageous women to repair water wells as a business.
Why Women?
WOMEN MAKE THINGS HAPPEN – Women care about water. They want their kids to be healthy and their daughters to be in school. They own the responsibility of the wells in their community, and this would only broaden their responsibility.
Why Water?
FROM CHARITY TO EQUITY – Something as important as water should not rely on organizations that can potentially lose funding or pack up their bags. With the tools they need to repair wells, trained women can keep repairing wells long after organizations have moved on.
Why Entrepreneurs?
IT’S GOOD FOR THE LOCAL ECONOMY – A woman with well-repair expertise is a small business. There are thousands of wells in disrepair in South Sudan alone, so there’s more than enough demand. Every repair puts money into the hands of a woman-owned small business, which boosts the local economy.
IT’S SCALABLE – Dozens of women-led teams repairing wells; it’s not just inspiring, it’s smart. With this model, we could repair every well in South Sudan.
IT’S REPEATABLE - Like all machines, wells will break. The more they are used, the more they will break. These local businesses will be there, year after year, to meet the need. Women, local, scalable, repeatable - now that is smart.
Aguet Mum Deng
“Before the training, life was difficult for my family and me, but after the training, I now repair broken wells and get paid money which has helped my family.”
