Costs vary due to a variety of factors. The main reasons include the geophysical aspects of the land, how deep the well needs to be drilled to reach safe water, the remoteness of the well’s location, and the cost of the required equipment, as well as transport within that country. 

Our projects also strive to ensure that wells are accessible for people with disabilities and that designs are gender equitable so that, for instance, if women and girls are the main water bearers, there are protection measures in place that improve their safety and security, including travelling shorter distances to retrieve water and well-lit pathways.  

Another major factor involved is also currency fluctuations and cost of living. 

When supporting the development of a well, a variety of costs are included. Costs include installation and construction of the well, along with associated material costs, fuel, cement, and water quality testing. 

Furthermore, the cost includes the training of a water committee that oversees the maintenance and operation of the wells to make them more sustainable in the long term. This typically includes a maintenance and repair toolkit as well. Administration costs for logistical and personnel needs that are required for a water well project are also included.

Although it can be difficult to cover the entire cost of the well yourself, you can still indirectly cover the entire cost of a well by fundraising the amount within your community. This can be through crowdfunding pages or other independent efforts. 

You can also make a contribution of any amount towards our general Water for Life Fund or by partially sponsoring a larger project.

The Water for Life fund supports our water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) projects. The main goal of our WASH projects is to increase access to and use of safe water and sanitation. This generally includes the installation, construction and/or rehabilitation of wells in addition to building latrines and hand washing stations. 

All our currently implemented WASH projects include culturally-sensitive hygiene and sanitation awareness sessions and the formation and training of community WASH committees. This ensures the sustainability of the project, as community members are trained in the operation and maintenance of the well.

Islamic Relief builds wells primarily in Africa and South Asia. Countries include, but are not limited to, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, South Sudan, Malawi, Mali, Sudan, Kenya, Somalia, Kosovo, Ethiopia, Niger, and Pakistan.

Our water projects can be supported in 3 main ways. 

For online donations made towards sponsoring a well, we will send you a report when the project is completed which will contain all the details related to the project you supported and your impact. 

For any fully funded water projects over $5,000, we provide you with an initial report 3-4 weeks after the donation is made and a final report upon project completion. This will include a photo of the well, along with its location and the impact it has had on rights-holders.

For donations made towards the general Water for Life fund, we send a general report of completed and ongoing WASH projects implemented during the year. 

Please note, we  do not  provide independent well reports unless an entire well is funded.

When you donate towards sponsoring a well through the website, your contribution will go towards supporting one of our ongoing projects in a region that has already been selected. For more information on other water projects in different countries that you can fund, please email [email protected].

Water well projects can range from 6 months to 3 years. This time frame depends on whether the well project is stand-alone or part of a larger, integrated project. 

For example, a project in Bangladesh whose sole purpose is the construction of wells can be completed within 9 months. On the other hand, for a bigger water system project in Mali where the well is just one of many components, the implementation can take around 2 years. Such a project typically includes a sustainable livelihood component through which the wells are constructed alongside irrigation systems and agricultural training. These wells would provide water for domestic use, but also for agricultural purposes and ultimately build a source of income for the local community. 

Another factor that affects the timeframe is accessibility, which can slow down the completion of a project. This could look like security issues that prevent access to the project location, poor road infrastructure to the well site, or the impacts of natural disasters, such as floods or earthquakes.

The prices differ from other organizations because our projects include much more than just building a simple well. It also includes associated material costs, fuel, cement, water quality testing, the costs required to establish a water committee which oversees the maintenance and operation of the well to ensure it is sustainable in the long term. Administrative costs for logistical and personnel needs as well as maintenance toolkits are also included in our prices. 

Additionally, the price usually ranges depending on the country and the region we work in. We make a conscious effort to work in regions that have low water levels, which means that access to water is very hard. Most of the areas we currently work in are drought-stricken areas in countries like Sudan and Niger which means that we need to drill deep to reach safe and clean water. 

Our water projects are designed to be inclusive so that the more vulnerable members of society, like women, girls, and people with disabilities are able to safely access and benefit from the wells. Protection and accessibility measures are taken into account and ultimately impact pricing.

This option is only available for fully funded well projects that are over $5,000, and only one name is permissible – whether it is an individual’s name, family name or corporate name. 

It is important to know that the majority of our water projects are implemented in either very remote areas or where there are little to no resources. This means our field offices face multiple obstacles and complex challenges to successfully build a water system.

To inquire further about the possibility of an inscription, please email [email protected], or give us a call at 1-855-377-4673 between 9am-5pm EST from Monday to Friday.