Basic water service
45%
of schools in sub-Saharan Africa had basic drinking water service in 2023.
An estimated 200 million hours are spent each day collecting unsafe water, primarily by women and children. The impact is severe, with nearly 2,000 children dying daily from waterborne illness. Beyond health, this crisis undermines education, gender equity, healthcare access, faith-formation, and economic development.
WorldServe has worked in East Africa for more than two decades, confronting the global water crisis through trusted, long-term partnerships. Our model delivers clean water systems communities can sustainably access, manage, and maintain for generations.
Our water systems don’t just provide water; they power schools, healthcare, agriculture, and economic growth. Because where water leads, transformation follows.
Women and girls must walk several hours daily to fetch water.
Roads or pathways that our crew and rigs can safely travel on.
Geological study supports the likelihood that water can be sourced.
Ensures additional positive outcomes will come from access to clean water.
Drill large scale, deep borehole that provide water for generations.
Equip each site with sustainable, solar panel distribution systems.
Prepare community leaders—especially women—to take ownership of each system’s maintenance.
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See the water sources communities rely on before a safe water system is installed.
See the villages and areas our crews navigate to safely reach communities and successful drilling projects.
See how geological studies and site assessments help determine where water can be successfully sourced.
See how communities participate in planning and prepare for the lasting impact of clean water.
When a school has no safe water, the day is shaped around its absence. Waterborne illness keeps children home. Time that should be spent learning is lost to fetching water, waiting for water, or managing without it. And for girls, the lack of private, functioning facilities can turn menstruation into missed days month after month. These are some of the first barriers reliable water helps remove.
45%
of schools in sub-Saharan Africa had basic drinking water service in 2023.
37%
of schools in sub-Saharan Africa had basic hygiene service in 2023.
11%
of schools had bins for menstrual waste in girls' toilets.
Clean water does not solve every challenge a school faces, but it removes one of the most basic barriers to learning. Illness drops. Handwashing becomes part of the daily routine. Girls gain more privacy and dignity through the school day. And when water is reliable, the school can function with fewer interruptions and more consistency for students, teachers, and families alike.
This is why water sources matters. A reliable, solar-powered community well continues to serve through dry seasons and changing conditions, helping schools and the wider community depend on water that lasts
When a school has dependable water nearby, the impact does not stop at the school gate. Families benefit. Teachers benefit. Daily life becomes more stable. A water source that serves multiple taps and more than one need helps strengthen the entire community around the school.
Your gift helps fund the kind of water source that keeps serving year after year — so students can spend more time learning, girls can attend with greater dignity, and entire communities can rely on water that keeps flowing.
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