F.A.Q.s

A. Wells Bring Hope (WBH) is committed to drilling wells to bring safe water and sanitation to rural villages in West Africa, one of the poorest regions in the world. Our mission is saving lives with safe water.

A. Wells Bring Hope was founded in March 2008 by Barbara Goldberg after a talk given by former LA County District Attorney Gil Garcetti to Salon Forum, a women’s group started by Barbara for personal and cultural enrichment. The group was inspired by his talk about the water crisis in West Africa and decided to take action, which led to the founding of Wells Bring Hope. Gil has been an integral part of its success, speaking to many community groups to generate awareness and raise money.

A. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) “No other humanitarian intervention produces a more dramatic effect on lives than access to safe water and sanitation.”

In many West African countries, the most common cause of death and disease is contaminated water. One in seven children dies before the age of five. Babies often die from what, to us, would be a simple case of diarrhea.

A. Quite simply – because the need is great. Both Niger and Mali have consistently been at the bottom of the UN Development Index as two of the poorest countries in the world. Read more about the need here.

A. As the name suggests, a hand pump well requires that the water be pumped from deep underground by hand. This requires a significant amount of effort and strength, making it challenging for most women, but especially for the very old, the very young, and the disabled. It is also very time consuming. Between the time spent waiting in line and the time spent pumping the amount of water required to fill her vessel, a woman could easily spend 1-1 ½ hours every day collecting water for her family.

A tap is actually a part of a much larger mechanized system that includes solar panels, the well itself, extensive underground piping, and an above ground water storage tank. In larger villages, there are multiple tap stands, each with two to four individual taps. These taps function much like the faucets in your own home. To collect water, a woman simply walks to the tap stand closest to her home, turns on the tap, and fills her water vessel. The whole process takes a matter of minutes and makes it possible for the elderly and the disabled to get water for themselves. We also hear how much the women value having water systems “like they have in the city.” Having access to this modern convenience not only makes their lives easier, but it makes them feel proud as well.

We made the transition to taps for several reasons, most importantly because the local governments have begun to require that all new wells, with very few exceptions, be of this mechanized type. Additionally, we recognized the positive impact that a mechanized well would have on women’s lives, and we believe that the people we serve deserve access to what we would consider a basic modern amenity.

A. Drilling a well has immediate as well as long-term effects that impact the village for generations.

«  Lives are transformed instantly and dramatically.
Child mortality drops by 70%.  Water-borne diseases are virtually eliminated. Education becomes a reality for girls. With 50% of their time freed up, women can work and earn money for their families.

Ensuring the health of a village is an ongoing process; drilling a well is just the first step. People must be educated on sanitation and good hygiene. We help villagers to install latrines and educate them on why it is important to use them and abandon the traditional practice of open defecation, which contaminates the water supply.

«We continue to work with every village for years after a well is drilled.
World Vision is on the ground in every area where we drill about once a month to monitor the well and ensure that lasting cultural changes are taking place. This is critical to ensuring that a village thrives. Villagers learn drip farming and how to use “gray water,” which enables them to grow vegetables and improve their diets. Women can even grow enough vegetables to sell in the local market.

A. When a well is drilled, we teach villagers how to maintain it, and we empower them to take ownership of it. This is very important for building pride and a sense of responsibility. In addition, every family contributes a small amount of money to a well maintenance fund. We also maintain a presence in the village for years after well drilling is complete. This helps to ensure that the well is maintained and new sanitation and hygiene practices are implemented and ingrained in the younger generation.

A. Check out About Us page to see how many wells we’ve drilled and how many lives we’ve changed.

A. $6,300.

A. Zero. 100% of every donation goes directly to drilling wells. Since its inception, WBH’s operating expenses have been funded by other sources, a group we call The Pump.

A. Wells Bring Hope’s address is 16563 Park Lane Circle, Los Angeles, CA 90049, and our EIN is #27-3123341.

A. Yes, we accept donations in fungible cryptocurrency. Wells Bring Hope has a Kracken account and a pro bono professional investment consultant who only advises on cryptocurrency.

A. If you are 70½ years old or older, you can take advantage of a simple way to support Wells Bring Hope and receive tax benefits in return. You can give any amount up to $100,000 per year from your IRA directly to Wells Bring Hope without having to pay income taxes on the money.

A. We are an all-volunteer organization, so we welcome gifts of time as well as money!

You can find our current volunteer needs on Volunteer Match. We have opportunities for people of all ages and abilities, and most of our positions are “virtual” and can be done from anywhere.

Wells Bring Hope’s Education Outreach program teaches children of all ages about the water crisis in West Africa, and may schools have started fundraising projects on our behalf. Do you know a school that might help? They can start a Water Circle, their own fundraising project with a unique page on our website.

Might your company consider funding wells? Are you part of a church, synagogue, Rotary Club, or other community group that might support us? Do you have any other contacts who might be able to help us? Gil Garcetti and Barbara Goldberg are available for speaking engagements.

Read Wells Bring Hope’s whistleblower and conflict of interest of policies and its board member code of conduct pledge here.

Find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Go to our YouTube channel and watch some of the videos that we have filmed in Niger. These videos speak to the heart of our mission as they convey the problems and solutions in a very personal and emotional way. Brochures are available upon request. For more information, contact barbara@wellsbringhope.org.