TWP Neema Water Wells
Why would a baby home in Africa get involved with drilling water wells?
Four years ago a water well drilling rig for shallow wells was given to Neema Village from a group of friends in Nacogdoches, Texas. We have learned through this incredible adventure called Neema Village that when God dumps something in your lap you are supposed to use it! The Tanzania Water Project, TWP, came with the rig, the drillers, drill stems, the equipment, a truck and a trailer. Scott Lockett and Michael Fortson set about refurbishing the rig, ordering new drill stems and moving the drillers to the Arusha district in Tanzania.
The Neema Village Board set guidelines for the use of the rig. Wells must be drilled in Maasai villages and not in the cities where people already have some access to water.
But Why Water Wells?
Imagine walking 3 to 5 miles round trip for some buckets of questionable water.
Now imagine doing that day after day after day. That daily journey takes you away from your family. Using that water puts the health of your family at risk. Water Poverty drives serious illnesses, high infant mor
tality rates, poor education, slumped economies, and unproductive agricultural conditions.
Having water close to the village gives women more time to cook healthy meals, grow better crops, work a business, and give dusty babies a good bath!
The Tanzania Water Project through Neema Village is making a difference, actively changing the day to day lives of women in remote villages.
- One-sixth of the world’s people lack access to safe water, and as of 2011, 185 million people still depend on surface water for their water needs.
- 88% of all diseases are caused by unsafe drinking water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene.
- Children born into poverty are almost twice as likely to die before the age of five than children from more prosperous homes.
- The average American uses 100-175 gallons of water per day. The average African family uses 5 gallons of water per day.
- Water poverty also negatively impacts education, local economies, agricultural efforts and gender equality.
Neema Village’s TWP drills clean water wells in remote Tanzanian villages, through the efforts of volunteers, donors and Tanzanian workers. One Hundred percent of your donation for drilling a well goes to drilling the well! No one is paid a salary at Neema Village except Tanzanian workers. All US Directors are volunteers and do not receive a salary.
The water project has become a full-fledged water relief operation focused on bringing the most basic gift of life to those in serious need in small villages in Tanzania: clean and available water. The Tanzania Water Project is demonstrating the love that Christ challenges us all to show daily to our fellow man, and especially to those in need.
By using our own rig we can cut the costs of drilling water wells which can often cost poor villagers ten to fifteen thousand US dollars. Our wells are averaging a cost of $7,000 USD.
You Give
We Drill
They Get Clean Water
You Change Lives!
We love it!