November 2010 Archives

Your online purchases this holiday season can earn the African Well Fund money to continue its mission of funding clean water and sanitation projects in sub-Saharan Africa.

Make purchases from Amazon.com, iTunes or Netflix through AWF's affiliate program and AWF will earn a percentage of the sale. To make purchases from AWF affiliates, click here.

Make purchases and get coupon codes for over 1,000 online retailers through GoodShop and AWF will earn a percentage of the sale when you indicate that you support African Well Fund (Schenectady, NY). To make purchases via GoodShop, click here.

The African Well Fund has received updates on four projects from Africare that can now be viewed in the Volunteer Forum. Two of these projects, Angola Libolo 1-2404 and Uganda WASH Program 45-2406, are completed and two others, Zimbabwe Buhera 48-2430 and Mali Phase II 26-2402, are currently in progress.

Report summaries are available below. To access the complete reports, click on the project name. Proposals and updates for all AWF-funded projects can be found here.

Angola Libolo 1-2404
This project aimed to decrease morbidity and mortality due to waterborne diseases through the provision of potable water from protected springs and the construction of latrines for 13,507 beneficiaries in Libolo Municipality. These activities were to be reinforced by community-based water and sanitation education.

Seven springs have been successfully rehabilitated. Community villagers who witnessed the positive impact of the project have subsequently rehabilitated an additional two springs on their own. Led by the sobas (local chiefs), community participation also included the cleaning of paths to the springs, the gathering of stones, and the provision of food and manual labor in support of the masons.

In order to formalize and strengthen long-lasting community involvement, seven water development committees were established and will continue to train their communities on water and sanitation hygiene.

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Uganda WASH Program 45-2406
This project aimed to increase access to safe water and sanitation in schools, strengthen the capacity to maintain a water source, and enhance knowledge of water and sanitation hygiene among children at five schools in the rural district of Ntungamo. Through the project, 2,799 school children and 15,000 surrounding households are now accessing clean safe water, and the targeted five schools have improved latrines and hand-washing facilities.

This completed project can help lead to be reduced cases of water-related illnesses, reduced absenteeism among girls who now have access to safe sanitation, committed teaching staff due to availability of improved sanitation facilities and supportive communities resulting from the training interventions.

Zimbabwe Buhera 48-2430
This year's Build a Well for Bono's Birthday project aims to improve access for 2,200 beneficiaries to safe, clean and adequate water for domestic use through rehabilitation of three boreholes and the sinking of six new deep wells.

In the report on progress made in October, the lining of the Mbire deep well was completed and the cover slab was casted with short casing fitted; the excavation of the Nyamandi deep well was in progress and is now at 12.3 meters deep and still dry; head work construction at Chiduku and Chamisa wells had been completed; Chamisa, Nyamandi, Chiduku and Mbire beneficiaries had managed to mobilize locally available resources such as bricks, river sand, pit sand for the head work construction at their water points, as well as managed to raise money to pay the builders who had assisted in the construction of washing basins, apron and run off channels.

Mali Phase II 26-2402
This project aims to make clean water available, and reduce the rates of diarrhea and other waterborne illnesses in four villages located about 100 km southwest of Timbuktu. The project, which was slowed by heavy rains from July to October, was slated for completion this month.

As of now, two wells for rehabilitation are completed and two new wells have been constructed. The third one at Timbarajene village was due for completion on or about Nov. 15. This well is about 30 meters deep compared to the others which were averaging 15 meters deep.

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The African Well Fund's sixth annual Got Water? eBay auction begins this Monday, Nov. 8, and will run through next Monday, Nov. 15. The online auction, which will raise money to fund clean water and sanitation projects in Angola, includes memorabilia and artwork.

Items up for bid include a John Mayer-signed CD, an original painting, a personalized art journal, a limited-edition Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band 10-inch single, and U2 memorabilia, including LPs, CDs and magazines.

Last year's auction, which included signed items from members of U2, The Swell Season and Anti-Flag, raised $1,596.91.

Visit AWF's eBay page to view the items up for auction or to place a bid.

For the fifth year in a row, Elsha Stockseth is donating proceeds from the sale of her holiday cards to the African Well Fund. Stockseth is now offering five card designs, including the newly debuted "Love and Peace" design (shown below), for $1.25 each via her website. Stockseth will donate 20 cents from the sale of each card to AWF.

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A 15-cent discount is offered for orders of 100 or more cards. Shipping is $4.95 for up to 20 cards and $6.50 for up to 50 cards. For larger orders, or international orders, contact Stockseth via the E Art by Elsha Stockseth Facebook page or e-mail her through her website.

To learn more about Stockseth and her work for AWF, click here.

The dates for the African Well Fund's sixth annual Got Water? eBay auction have been changed. The auction will now begin this coming Monday, Nov. 8, and will run through Monday, Nov. 15.

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