The impact of a new well on a community is profound, but it often can’t be fully grasped until seeing its previous water source. When lacking access to clean water, people must resort to drinking from any available source, often a long walk from their village. This could be a stagnant spring with flies, a muddy river or stream, or just a hole dug deep enough to seep enough groundwater for scooping up. The consequences of drinking this contaminated water are constant illness from waterborne diseases and sometimes death. Children miss significant time from school. Women and girls are sometimes assaulted while walking to and from remote water sources, further compounding the risk. It’s no wonder that joyful celebration erupts when a new well is constructed, and abundant clean water begins to flow!

The photo here from Weetown, Liberia, shows the young women’s excitement to have a new Living Water Project well—a stark contrast to the community’s previous, contaminated water source. If we imagine what it would be like to drink from one of these dirty water sources, it’s easy to understand the transforming impact of a new well.