::News Flash::

Wells

TURTLEWILL WATER WELLS PROGRAM

TurtleWill has dug and repaired 35 wells in the remote regions of Niger and Mali since 2002. Because the need for clean water is severe and touches on all elements of survival, the Wells Program is one of our top priorities. In the remote areas we serve, people may walk for hours to collect water for themselves and for their herds. With only limited options tribal peoples are often forced to collect water from shallow, unprotected ponds, which they share with animals. These sources are subject to contamination as rainwater washes water from surrounding areas into the sources. Stagnant water also serves as a breeding place for mosquitoes and disease.

In addition, as tribal lands shrink and the droughts continue, wells are primordial to the healthy survival of the tribes and their animals. In Niger in 2005, in response to the urgencies of the devastating drought in the Air Mountains region, TurtleWill was able to quickly dig 15 wells in areas that still retained pasturage, saving the lifestyles and lives of countless nomads and their animals.

So far we have impacted the lives of about 10,000 people.

Wells are often 150-200 feet deep. They are dug by hand in Niger. In Mali hydraulic equipment is used.

Budget:
A well dug by hand in Niger: $5-6,000.
A well dug hydraulically in Mali: $12-14,000

Click Here to View the map of Niger Wells
Click Here to View the map of Mali Wells

Tuareg women watering goats at Dubla Well, Niger
Pump Well for Tuareg TINAIT community, Timbucktu region, Mali	Thunen Well being dug, Air Mountains, Niger
Wodaabe nomad herders at Josie's Well, Foudouk, send thank you to Lilli for donating the well.	Irma Turtle with Tuareg nomads Hawa and Hadidja at Ibikit Well, Niger
Irma Turtle at recently completed Karafo School well with Tuareg elders and Chief Moudor Hawey, Niger
Tuareg nomads water their camels at Tagarme Well, Air Mountains, Niger