Lack of clean water causes many serious life threatening problems for children in our schools. With no facilities to follow basic hand-washing procedures (WASH) children are vulnerable to diarrhoea and tropical diseases leading to chronic disabilities.

Climate change has resulted in droughts and unpredictable rainfall in Monze impacting on the community’s ability to grow food. Although FOM raises money to establish school permaculture gardens to feed children and teach sustainable agricultural methods, the gardens need a reliable source of water for irrigation to grow plants and trees. Without local bore holes, women are forced to find water where they can, often having to carry buckets on their heads for long distances.

We fundraise to fund solar powered water pumps.

To date we have drilled boreholes at 13 schools, and repaired boreholes at 10 schools, providing water for 16,435 school children. 8 of the boreholes are solar powered. These solar powered pumps are a proven, effective method of getting clean water to school gardens in the Monze area. We have an excellent track record here! Our first project in 2013 is still working well now in 2022, providing water to benefit Chisikili HIV/AIDS support group to irrigate their permaculture garden

Solar pumps work by welding solar panels on a school roof or pole, which then produces electricity to power a pump placed in a bore hole. Water is then pumped to a tank on top of a water tower which flows down in pipes to taps in the school grounds. 3,498 children and their communities have benefited from these solar pumps and we plan to fund many more with your help.

Friends of Monze funds WASH training for all children at our schools to wash their hands at critical times. After school WASH clubs reinforce the message and encourage children to teach these simple effective hygiene practices to their families and the wider communities.