We don’t just hand out water to those who are thirsty – we dig wells, construct micro-dams and build systems to capture and purify rainwater, helping communities access clean water for years to come, so they don’t need our help any more.

Project – Sustainable Water Sources in Mali

In landlocked Mali, access to water is a constant concern. A harsh and unpredictable climate, frequently wracked by drought – not to mention the added difficulty of internal conflict – leaves families in constant fear of hunger, if the rains don’t fall and their crops can’t grow. Children are forced to drop out of school and work, just to help meet their families’ basic needs.

In Mali’s south-western Koulikoro region, Islamic Relief is working in seven villages to turn this around.We have built sustainable water sources, like micro-dams which collect and store rainwater during the wet months, so that it can be used throughout droughts and dry spells. Women are often the hardest-hit by water shortages – in Africa, women walk an average of 6km to fetch clean water.

Islamic Relief set up new water distribution networks in rural maternity centres, along with the solar power supplies we installed in a previous project. Now, pregnant women and mothers can access clean water when they and their children’s health most depends on it.

Water Solutions aren’t just in Mali: we have built solar-powered wells in Niger which never run out of natural energy; sturdy bamboo water pipes in Indonesia; rainwater harvesting systems in China…the list goes on.

Allah tells us in the Qur’an: “we made from water every living thing” (21:30).