For most of us, clean drinking water is seconds away simply by going to the sink and turning on the tap. But for a majority of people in Burundi, Africa, clean water is far from reality. The accompanying video captures a daily ritual for Burundians fortunate to collect water from an obsolete well heavily damaged during years of war. Most of their countrymen collect their water from rivers and creeks shared by farm animals.

Burundi is located in east-central Africa and boarders Kenya and Rwanda. A mountainous country, Burundi relies heavily on agriculture for its economy. Most Burundians still make daily trips to a river and collect water in buckets or jugs. They then carry these by foot back to their homes for drinking, cooking and cleaning. With no purification or plumbing most Burundians have little assurance that their water is clean and safe to drink. Public health issues abound, but could improve dramatically through access to safe, reliable water sources.

Deep water wells can cost from $20,000 to $25,000 and serve up to 3000 people. The Gazelle Foundation’s initial efforts are to fund water well projects in Burundi. Please read our African Water Well white paper for more information.