Hand-Pump Water Well — Ethiopia

A hand-pump water well donation is the way to solve a village's water problem permanently at the lowest cost.

Your donation on this page goes towards building a hand-pump water well in Ethiopia.

How does a hand-pump well work?

The well is dug deep enough to reach the groundwater, and a sturdy hand pump is fitted on top.

It needs no electricity or fuel, so it can be used for years even in villages far from any grid.

Thanks to its simple mechanism, it is easy to maintain and is used daily by the villagers.

Hand-pump well cost by country

The differences result from the ground conditions, the depth of the water, and material and transport costs.

Who benefits?

• Children: The hours spent carrying water are freed up for school and play.
• Women: Fewer exhausting walks to distant water sources.
• The whole village: The risk of disease from contaminated water falls.

Example: a shared well from Austria

Ten members of a mosque community in Linz want to share a hand-pump well in Uganda.

The cost is 2.000 €. Per person, that is 2.000 € ÷ 10 = 200 €. Each participant can pay their own portion separately as a share donation.

For those who want to start with a smaller budget, a hand-pump well in Asia costs 500 €.

A well as Sadaqah Jariyah

With its reward continuing as long as people drink from the well, this donation is one of the finest examples of Sadaqah Jariyah. For details, see our article What is Sadaqah Jariyah?

The process of having a well built, a comparison of well types and what to look out for are covered in the water well donation guide.

Other well types

If you want to meet the need for both drinking water and ablution, take a look at the water well with ablution fountain (şadırvan); for regions that need deep water, the borehole water well.

How a well is built in Ethiopia

• Site selection: A village is chosen where the need for water is great and the most people will benefit from the well.
• Digging: The well is dug deep enough to reach the groundwater and its sides are reinforced.
• Pump: The hand pump is installed and the usability of the water is checked.
• Handover: The well is opened for the shared use of the villagers.

Preparing a well can take time depending on ground and seasonal conditions, so the duration varies from region to region.

On whose behalf can I have it built?

You can have the well built in your own name, in the name of a family member or in the name of a deceased loved one. This name is given in the form, and the well is built with that intention.

For any questions, you can reach us on our WhatsApp line.

All options: water well projects. Payment is by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, EPS or PayPal; you receive a donation receipt once it is confirmed.