For even more FAQ on the 1000 Wells Project, check out:
http://www.bloodwatermission.com/?em1204=43910&em1205=43924&em1206=45638

Who is Blood:Water Mission?
When Dan Haseltine, lead singer of the band Jars of Clay, visited Africa in 2002, he had to struggle to accept what he saw. Poverty and physical and social suffering in Africa shook him, challenged him, and changed him. From this was born Blood:Water Mission, a faith-based non-profit organization dedicated to bringing support to these fellow members of our global family. Their mission is to tangibly reduce the impact of the African HIV/AIDS pandemic, to promote clean blood and clean water in Africa, and to build equitable, sustainable and personal community links. See www.bloodwatermission.org for more information on the organization, and check out their blog at http://blog.bloodwatermission.org for news, ground reports, and “musings” from the band and the staff at BWM.

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What is their 1000 Wells Project?
This humanitarian effort involves other Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), churches, communities, college groups, and individuals across the country to fundraise the money to build 1000 wells in 1000 African communities. Blood:Water Mission seeks to realize the 1000 Wells Project by providing the funding for their partner organizations to actually build the wells. These organizations include: African Leadership, Africare, Integrated Community Development International, Lifewater International, Living Hope Community Center, Persecution Project, DATA and the One Campaign.

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Where will the money I donate to the Davis 1000 Wells Project go?
The Davis 1000 Wells Project Team has committed to sending all funds raised through our campaign directly to Blood:Water Mission to enable African communities to build clean water wells. None of the money you donate to the Davis 1000 Wells Project will be used for our publicity, materials, or other expenses. All of our administrative funds come from the project coordinators themselves.

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...and at Blood:Water Mission?
Less than 10% of every dollar Blood:Water Mission collects goes toward their own administrative costs; the rest goes directly toward well development. The cost of the wells can range from $200 to repair a neglected hand pump, to $15,000-$20,000 to construct an electric urban pump.

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How much does it cost to dig a well?
The cost varies greatly depending on how deep and through what sort of rock or soil the well must be dug, but it is as little as $6,000 dollars. When you divide the cost of a well by the number of people who use it, the average cost is about $10 per person.

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Why is clean water vital to African communities?
Clean water is the foundation for healthy community development – and a fundamental human right. Diseases run rampant in the unclean water that women walk up to ten miles a day to collect for their families; those living with HIV/AIDS are especially susceptible to the diseases bred in unclean water. Local disease outbreaks force schools to close and children, especially girls, to lose out on education, Clean water will prevent water-related diseases, allow those with HIV/AIDS to live longer, healthier lives, help alleviate the burden on women, and allow children to receive a more stable education.

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What kind of diseases?
1.1 million men, women, and children* die in Africa every year from easily preventable water-related diseases, including:

• Cholera, an acute infection of the intestines, marked by diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting
• Trachoma, an eye infection that may lead to blindness
• Guinea-Worm Diseases (Dracunculiasis), a painful infection caused by a roundworm that may leave its victims with ulcers, bacterial infections, or permanently crippled
• Malaria, carried by a mosquito vector; symptoms include fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, anemia, and jaundice
• 80% of all victims are children under the age of five.
  (information taken from http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/diseases/en/index.html)

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What is the process of well construction?
The main priority of Blood:Water Mission is to empower communities to take control of their own health. Because of this, most clean water projects are initiated within the communities themselves through connecting with BWM’s grassroots partners. These organizations engage with community members throughout the process. A team of specialists surveys the area to determine the best type of water project for the geography and needs of the community. In addition to different types of wells, potential water solutions are rainwater catchment systems or water filtration. A trained team of African nationals can then begin the well construction, and the rest of the community is educated on the importance of this well and how to maintain it, creating a sense of community ownership. The community is also given spare parts for upkeep of the well. Most organizations continue to sustain partnership with the community for as long as three years to make sure that the well is used, maintained, and working. By providing local leadership with training for maintenance and upkeep of their own wells, the 1000 Wells Project brings sustainable development and empowerment to impoverished communities, and hope for a healthier, more prosperous future.

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How is well water treated for bacteria?
Most often, a well disinfected after drilling and properly maintained will remain clean long term. In other cases, such as flooding or grazing cattle nearby, a well may become contaminated again and must be disinfected. Also, in some locations, ground water may be contaminated with heavy metals, and must be treated, or an alternative source must be found. Local organizations implement these measures and train community leadership in well maintenance and repair, and in proper water care, including transport, storage and use. The incidence of water-related diseases decreases dramatically when the well is carefully maintained and the community cares for the water.

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How do we know that $1 can supply 1 person living in African with clean water for 1 year?
This comes from taking the total cost of an average clean water project, divides the price by the number of individuals living in a given community, and then further divides by the average lifespan of a person living in that region of the world.

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How long will it take to complete 1000 clean water projects?
Blood:Water Mission’s partner organizations began preliminary work for community development and well construction in early 2005. Each community presents different circumstances, and every project will require a different length of time to complete. BWM anticipates that the completion of 1000 wells will take at least five to ten years, allowing for sustainable development, community ownership, and health and sanitation training to ensure a long-lasting clean water project.

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What countries have received clean water through the 1000 Wells Project?
Blood:Water Mission has completed clean water projects in Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Zambia, Ghana, Sierra Leone, the Sudan, and the Central African Republic. For more information, check out BWM’s project map here.

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Why is Blood:Water Mission a Christian organization?
In simplest terms, the 1000 Wells Project is a humanitarian effort established by a Christian band. Blood:Water Mission was founded on core principles found by the members of Jars of Clay in their Christian faith, principles in which people of all backgrounds may believe. As the Davis 1000 Wells Project, we feel called to this project to walk alongside the poor and alleviate the suffering of God’s children in Africa. Click here to learn more about our coordinating team's mission. We hope that you will find your own meaning in participating in this project, and join us to bring clean water and the hope for a better future to African communities, regardless of creed.

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