Well Drilling Goes Ahead

The project Well Drilling Goes Ahead in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR-Congo) is set out for the substantial improvement of the drinking water supply of the rural population. Although it is one of the richest countries in terms of sweet water resources in the world, in the worldwide ranking of access to safe drinking water it is only among the last three countries. In rural areas, only about 10-20% have access to safe drinking water. Every year almost 500,000 children under the age of 5 die in the DR-Congo predominantly due to infectious diseases caused by contaminated drinking water. Clean water has tremendous synergies for food security, health care, education / training, work, income and security. Women and children are traditionally responsible for collecting water and are exposed to many risks (robbery, rape) during often long walks to water sources. Clean water is the prerequisite for autonomous development independent of external influences (IMF, World Bank, donor countries, NGOs). We provide assistance only until the local groups are sufficiently resilient and avoid mutual dependencies.

Architekten über Grenzen (AüG) and the initiative Brunnenbau Macht Schule try to show with this project that there is another way. Under the leadership of the Congolese partner Center de Formation des Puisatiers in Kikwit, we are helping to enable the Congolese people to take over the control of their drinking water supply with adapted technolog. We work purely unsalaried. Administrative costs are financed by membership fees. Every euro donated within the framework of this project flows directly into a drinking water activity. For 1 Euro, you could currently buy about 25 000 liters of clean drinking water in the DR-Congo, if it were available (25 L = 0.1 Cent).

-> Video clip about the well construction method

-> Infoflyer well construction school Kikwit

- 3 months course for 20 participants (assistant / journeyman / master): 2.500 - 3.800 €

- course fee participants (50%): 100 €

- teaching material theory per course: 50 €

- 1 drinking water well with hand rope pump: 3.800 € -

- mobile drinking water laboratory 5,000 €

- 1 hand rope pump with installation 400 €

- workshop cabinets, shelves total: 1.500 €

- stable workbenches each: 500 €

- workshop material per practical course: 150 €