Stories from the field.

After months of drilling, testing and construction, the community gathered to celebrate the dedication of a new solar-powered borehole. The system includes a smart-controller pump that automatically refills a 5,000-liter storage tank, a water distribution network, multiple fountain access points, solar street lighting, and six water hoses so families no longer wait in line. A local water committee has been trained to operate and maintain the system for the long term.

A new solar PV irrigation system now waters a community vegetable garden that previously depended on hand-carried water. Farmers — most of them women — are already reporting longer growing seasons and a second harvest where there used to be one. The system runs at zero fuel cost, engineered to keep running for decades with basic local maintenance.

Before a borehole reached this village, girls often spent hours each day walking to fetch water — time that came directly out of the school day. With water now available year-round and irrigation equipment replacing manual watering by hand, teachers are reporting a noticeable rise in girls' attendance and participation in class.

A newly built catchment basin now captures seasonal rainfall for a community that previously ran out of water well before the rains returned. Combined with silt traps and filtration for cleaner storage, the basin is extending safe water access for households and livestock alike, months longer than before.

A delegation of partner organizations visited several of our active irrigation and borehole sites to see firsthand how solar-powered systems are supporting local farmers and families. These visits help strengthen the partnerships that make our targets — including reaching 8,000 villages with solar-powered boreholes — possible.

Thanks to donors around the world, our Give Water campaign continues to fund household filters, village tap stands and full solar-powered boreholes. Every gift is tracked to a specific project — and every dollar keeps us moving toward our goal of one village, one borehole, in 8,000 communities.