Dying for water

Shallow wells can save lives

Help us dig wells, not graves in Turkana

Practical Action is bringing safe, clean water to the Turkana region of north-west Kenya. This in turn helps to stop more innocent victims getting caught in the crossfire, when conflict over water spills into bloodshed.

Every well we can dig in Turkana means more water will be available to its people. And the more water in Turkana, the more the threat of violence will drop. Continuous droughts over the last three years have led to increasing pressures over resources, it is that we help the people of Turkana with the simple technology of the shallow well.

'Pastoralists who have gone in search of water and good grazing close to the border of Uganda have been attached or bombed. They are left with nothing, injured and with no livestock they are refugees in their own homeland.' Chief Lucas of the Lokiriama

How the wells will help save lives many times over

By digging wells in Turkana we can help save lives for three reasons:

• The more safe, clean water we can make available to people in the area, the less a source of conflict it will become.
• More water for drinking, cooking and washing will mean less hunger and disease.
• If we're able to dig more wells closer to villages, few women will have to make 15km journeys, alone and at risk of becoming another innocent victim in the conflict over water.

Please donate to our essential work today, with your support we can help those who live in such vulnerable situations improve their lives.

Further information

Video: shallow wells in action
This short video shows how simple technologies can make a real difference. Double-click on the video player (Flash required).

Read more about shallow wells on our international site - the technology and their impact on people's lives

Photo-story See how simple well technologies can make a real difference

Diary A detailed account of a field visit to Turkana and Kitale, to see this work in action