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ChildFund International and Davis & Shirtliff have partnered to increase access to clean water for communities in four African countries -Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Zambia which are some of the areas most vulnerable to water scarcity.
ChildFund Uganda – February, 2020.
Photo by Jake Lyell
The two organizations will collaborate to deploy sustainable water solutions to provide clean and safe water to marginalized and under-resourced communities by employing innovation and technology. This partnership will focus on borehole installation rehabilitation, installing water storage tanks, installing electric and solar-powered pumps, solarizing existing water pumps, water testing technologies and services, and implementation of water-related interventions in public schools.
The partnership combines Davis & Shirtliff’s technical expertise as a leading supplier of water and energy-related solutions with ChildFund’s experience in implementing development programs in marginalized and under-resourced communities, to address water scarcity due to physical shortage, irregular supply, or a lack of adequate infrastructure.
According to UN World Water Development Report 2019, on a global scale, half of the people who drink water from unsafe sources live in Africa, while in Sub-Saharan Africa, only 24% of the population have access to safe drinking water. United Nations Sustainable Development Goal No. 6 urges nations to ensure that water is clean, accessible, reused, recycled, and protected.
“This partnership could not have come at a better time when many communities are reeling from the effects of climate change, manifested by frequent droughts leading to food and water insecurity. Not to mention the COVID-19 pandemic which has demonstrated the importance of adequate access to clean water in preventing diseases. Through this partnership, we intend to solve the water crisis by leveraging technology to empower communities living in arid and semi-arid areas with sustainable water solutions,” said Chege Ngugi, Africa Regional Director of ChildFund.
As a start, Davis & Shirtliff and ChildFund have drilled and equipped 4 boreholes in Samburu and Marsabit counties in Kenya to provide over 30,000 people, 7 schools, 2 health facilities, and animals with clean water.
“This partnership will enable us to make water affordable and accessible to more people, no matter where they live. Our goal is to achieve real impact on people, the communities they live in, the society, and ultimately our planet to preserve it for future generations.” Edward Davis, Davis & Shirtliff Managing Director said.
Davis & Shirtliff is working with communities, development organizations, governments, and other stakeholders to uncover a wide variety of solutions to enable a safe, affordable, and ample water supply now and for generations to come.