Help Build Bu's First Reliable Water System

Dear Friend,

At 4 o'clock in the morning, while most children are still asleep, 10-year-old Gloire begins her day.

She picks up a yellow jerrycan and walks through dense bush and swamp in search of water.

Not clean water, not safe water, simply water.

The photograph above captures one of those journeys.

Gloire, like thousands of children in Bu Village in the Democratic Republic of Congo, must walk long distances every day to collect water from contaminated swamps. The water often carries disease, but it is the only source available to her family.

Today, more than 10,000 people in Bu and the surrounding villages live without access to clean drinking water.

The consequences are devastating.

• Children miss school.
• Women spend hours each day collecting water.
• Families suffer from preventable waterborne illnesses.

And during disease outbreaks such as the current Ebola crisis affecting parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo, communities without access to safe water become even more vulnerable.

Access to clean water is one of the most important foundations for health, hygiene, and disease prevention.

But there is hope.

A Vision for Bu

Imagine a different morning.

Instead of walking through swamps before sunrise, Gloire walks a few minutes from home to a community water station.

• A solar-powered pump draws clean water from deep underground.     
• Water is stored in an elevated tank and delivered through modern automatic taps
• Girls line up safely with their jerrycans.                                                           
• Children arrive at school on time.                                                            
• Families drink clean water.                                                                                   
• Disease declines.                                                                                                     
• The entire community begins to thrive.                                                                    This vision is not a dream. It is a practical, proven solution that can become reality.

The Solution

The Elikya Foundation is raising $40,000 to install a complete solar-powered community water system in Bu Village, including:

• Borehole drilling
• Solar-powered pumping system
• Elevated water storage tank
• Community water distribution point
• Community management and maintenance training

This system will provide safe, reliable water year-round for more than 10,000 people.

Your Impact

Your gift can help make this possible.

• $50 provides materials for the water system.                                                  
• $200 supports drilling operations.                                                               
• $500 helps train local community members to maintain the system.              
• $1,000 moves us significantly closer to bringing clean water to thousands of people.

Every contribution matters.

Join Us

Water is more than a basic necessity

• It is health
• It is education
• It is dignity                                                                                                      
• It is opportunity.

Most importantly, it is something every child deserves.

Together, we can ensure that children like Gloire spend their mornings preparing for school not searching for water.

Will you join us in bringing clean water to Bu?

With gratitude,

David Mbulula
Director
Elikya Foundation

"Until they all have clean water, none of us should take ours for granted."