MILESTONE #4: We've Raised $100,000 and we're Building 4 Wells for 4000 People!

We did it! Together, we've raised over $100,000 this month. These funds are going to help improve the lives of so many people across four villages in the Thar desert of Pakistan. We are ecstatic and so overwhelmed by the generosity we've seen over the last few weeks and the power that resides within our community. Now that the fundraising is done, we're excited for the real work to begin - building the wells.

What are we doing?

​Together, we want to combat the major water crisis in Pakistan by funding and constructing four Solar Wells in Tharparkar - the major desert located in southern Pakistan. Each well costs $25,000 and provides clean drinking water to approximately 1,000 people.

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What's the purpose of this initiative?

Based on our multiple visits to the region and years of experience in Tharparkar, we believe that the key to pulling villagers out of generational poverty is to provide them with clean drinking water. Our research and case studies have shown that providing clean water in Tharparkar enables the villagers there to succeed in other areas of their lives such as education and economic freedom.

​What's the benefit of building a Solar Water Well?

The biggest benefit of having a Solar Water Well is that it provides clean drinking water that does not have any contaminants. This drastically reduces the chance for the villagers to contract any water-related diseases. Other benefits include:

• ​No Manual Labor - All that's required to retrieve water from the solar well is to twist a knob. It's that simple. Each Solar Well comes with up to four taps to allow for multiple villagers to get clean drinking water at once. No ropes or pulleys required.
• Water That Lasts - Solar Wells are closed systems that use electrical energy to pull water from deep within the ground. Because there is electrical energy, rather than manual labor, the motor is able to pull water much faster and deeper than it could be pulled through a rope and bucket. This allows the Solar Wells to last an estimated 25 years.

​How are the villagers currently getting their water?

The villagers are using Open Dug Wells to retrieve their water. These are traditional wells that have been around for centuries which require a rope, pulley, and bucket of water. This method of retrieving water has a few problems:

• ​Water Contamination - Open Dug Wells are open from the top (no lid), which leaves them exposed to contaminants such as dirt and livestock. It's very common for livestock to fall into the wells overnight thus fully contaminating the water supply until the dead animal is retrieved from the well and the well is flushed out.
• High Levels of Labor for Minimum Water - Open Dug Wells require villagers to pull the water for up to hundreds of yards before the bucket of water reaches the surface. The time spent pulling on the manual labor hinders villagers from doing other life-essential tasks such as growing crops or going to school.

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​Who's in charge of maintaining these 'Solar Wells'?

Penny Appeal utilizes a Sourcing Process that is used to identify villages in Tharparkar that are in immediate need of clean water access. When the villages are identified, Penny Appeal works with key village members to assign them duties that will ensure the Solar Well is properly maintained. Having a massive solar panel in a village is no small feat, and Penny Appeal USA ensures that before it is implemented the village is well equipped to help manage the well.

• ​Key Villagers are Assigned Duties - There is a designated community member who is trained on the solar system. This includes learning 1) How to operate the system 2) Optimum times to turn on the pump 3) Who to contact in case there are technical issues 4) How to maintain the security of the system against theft.

• A Member Ledger is Kept - A community ledger is kept with each member's name, duty, thumb print initial, and contact information. This allows for villagers to contact a designated POC within their community if they are having issues with the well.
• Each Villager Receives Penny Appeal's Contact Information  - Penny Appeal's contact information is provided to each villager and they are able to contact the organization with any questions/disputes.
• Penny Appeal Does Routine Checkups - Penny Appeal has a designated POC in the surrounding city who is responsible for doing routine check ups on the wells. The POCs have developed extensive relationships with the villages over the years that allow for them to serve as a confidante for any issues the community is facing. They serve as a representative for the village.

​Last year you raised $100,000, what did that accomplish?

For those that do not know, in June 2018 we raised $100,000 to build four Solar Water Wells in Tharparkar. There was an extensive process following the releasing of the funds which involved Penny Appeal to source trusted and reliable vendors in Tharparkar to construct the Solar Wells. Vendors were chosen based on price, reputation, quality of work, and past experience in solar construction. In February 2019 the construction began on the four wells and our team visited the wells in March 2019 to see, first hand, how the wells were operating within the communities. We were astonished by what we saw:

• ​"Children now pay attention in class"- A teacher in the village of Chachi Thakar, a site where the new Solar Well was implemented, noted that his students are more attentive in the classroom now that they do not have to focus on access to clean drinking water and come to class hydrated and ready to learn.

• "Women have time to grow crops" - Community members in Chachi Thakar noted that, because women do not have to spend the whole day carrying water for miles, that they are able to now grow crops and sell them in the local market. One step closer to economic freedom.

• "Our children are getting marriage requests" - This was an interesting unintended side effect that we did not predict. The youth within communities that receive a Solar Well are held in higher regards from the surrounding community. Parents are interested in marrying their children to people in Solar Well areas because they are confident that their children will not have to spend their days pulling water from Open Dug Wells.

​Will this project be executed by a trusted 501(c)(3)?

The implementation is executed by Penny Appeal - a reputable 501(c)(3) with an unstained reputation in Solar Water Wells as well as many other areas.

Penny Appeal USA is a nonprofit development organization working to alleviate poverty through sustainable programs. Our mission is to bring about an equitable world by tackling the root causes of poverty, while bridging the gap between funders and poor communities in order to work together on long-term solutions that can help end intergenerational poverty.

Since 2016, we have provided support, tools, and services to over 50,000 children, refugees, displaced communities, and families in need both domestically and internationally.

What's the end goal for this campaign?

The end goal of this campaign is to pull villagers out of generational poverty with one simple solution: access to clean drinking water. Kids who are well fed and quenched go to class ready to learn. Kids who do better in class get better opportunities to attend better schools outside of the desert. Kids who go to school outside of the desert get jobs outside of the desert. Kids who get jobs outside of the desert do not have to worry as much about access to clean drinking water for their own families. By this process, we can see how we can lift a family out of poverty within just two generations.