Worldwide, 1 in 8 people live without access to clean drinking water. As a result, preventable water-borne diseases kill 2 million people each year. That’s more than all forms of violence combined. In Zambia alone, 55% of the population lack safe water and adequate sanitation facilities. Diseases like typhoid and cholera are endemic in Southern Africa, and there is widespread misunderstanding about their causes and prevention. These issues are at the root of many health, economic, and social problems, from HIV/AIDS to unemployment. Sustainable clean water access sets the stage for the success of other development projects.

Biosand filters are a simple and effective technology that can turn water from any source into safe water. Seeds of Hope’s cost to build, deliver and install a BioSand filter is $85. That means that for less than $6 per person, one biosand filter can give a family clean water for over 30 years. Give a biosand filter.

In water-stressed places throughout Africa, people spend several hours a day searching for and collecting water that is oftentimes not even safe to drink. The Zambian government recently estimated that there are roughly 4,000 inoperable hand pumps throughout the country, representing as many as 2,000,000 people drinking contaminated water every day. Seeds of Hope strategically drills boreholes in communities in need, and trains and equips local pump caretakers. One borehole costs $5,500 and provides about 500 people with a permanent source of safe water. Help sponsor a borehole.

Seeds of Hope has partnered with California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo in the U.S. and Northrise University in Ndola to develop the FEED Zambia Project. The FEED (Food, Environment, Education, and Development) Zambia Project mentors people like Wetson and Katherine Banda in improved farming techniques. The training modules cost $200 per person, and are designed to gradually increase farmers’ knowledge of agriculture and nutrition. You can help by sponsoring a local community member to receive a certificate of completion in one of our courses. Sponsor an agriculture student.

Today, more people in the world have cell phones than have access to an adequate toilet, and lack of sanitation is the world’s leading cause of infection. Seeds of Hope’s Hygiene and Sanitation trainings teach people the simple things they can do to prevent the spread of disease in their homes and communities. A training, like the one at Edward’s school, costs $500. Help sponsor a Hygiene and Sanitation training.

There are some simple ways you can partner with Seeds of Hope. You can sponsor one of the projects described above, or give an undesignated donation which will go towards projects most in need of funding. A group of our friends at a church in Louisiana raised $75,000 for our work by selling water bottles! But no amount is too small: just $1 can give 1 person clean water for 1 year. You can also help raise awareness about the water crisis and Seeds of Hope’s work by hosting an event at your local church or community group. Not sure where to start? Request a Presentation Toolkit. Or you can lend your expertise to help us make our projects in Zambia better. Our friend Jerry Bean spent several months reorganizing our main biosand filter factory to increase the number of life-saving filters we are able to produce each month. Greg Hamer, a professional geologist, traveled to Zambia to spend 2 weeks mentoring our crew on how to problem solve challenging drilling conditions. If you have a skill relevant to our work, a heart to equip local workers, and the ability to take a short-term trip, we invite you to come partner with us in Zambia. However you decide to get involved, you will be helping bring health, hope, and transformation to communities in Africa. Thank you!