Impact Report

As the founder of Well Aware, I rarely pause to reflect on our impact over the past 15 years. But on this special anniversary, I think back to the very first well—and the little girl who changed my life forever.

In January 2010, I flew to Nairobi with friends after raising funds to drill a well in a Kenyan village. After days of travel and little sleep, we set off toward the rural community where the well was being drilled. The huge metal rig sent vibrations into the earth, and as we piled out of the van onto the dry soil, we could feel the ground humming beneath us.

Once we had taken it all in, we walked toward the nearby school and women’s center, where a large gathering of women and children waited to meet us. We were embraced with warmth and joy inside the dilapidated building, their eagerness filling the air as they guided us through their village. As we walked, I noticed one little girl was always watching me. By that afternoon, she was holding my hand, following me wherever I went. She was tiny–I guessed age 4 or 5–but when she told me she was 8, I realized malnutrition had stunted her growth.

We were resting in the shade when a deep thud shook the ground. Jumping to our feet, we saw water erupting from the drill site. Her eyes widened as she screamed, “Maji! Maji!” (Swahili for water) and sprinted under the safety tape toward the gushing well. I instinctively ran after her, guiding her back to the safe area. She didn’t understand at first, but the women nearby explained that it wasn’t safe to drink yet. Later that day, one of the drillers waved me over, signaling the water was now safe to drink. I grabbed a bottle, filled it to the top, and
lifted my little friend into my arms as I handed it to her. It was heavy in her tiny hands, but she drank the entire bottle in seconds.

I can still feel that moment—the relief in her body, the joy in her eyes. In an instant, I understood how life-changing this well would be—not just for her, but for her family and the entire village.

More children in school, fewer illnesses, and a future no longer defined by the search for water. Women in the community told me how much their lives would change. They could grow crops, earn their own income, and worry less about losing their babies to dirty water or dehydration.

It was then that I decided to devote my life to this work, and Mike and I were determined to do it better than anyone had before. Most water projects in this region fail, so we focused on understanding why and built a model that would last. In the beginning, we had no large grant, no celebrity backing, no real resources, and, admittedly, very little understanding of water system infrastructure. What that small group of us who put it all into motion did have, though, was determination, the right people, and a commitment to doing right by each and every community we served.

Now, 15 years later, we have built a team of 15, and through it all, we remain guided by those we serve–especially the little girls.

Lianna – Kahuho, Kenya

Lianna’s duties at home consist of fetching water, cleaning utensils, and washing clothes. She and her sister, Brianna, used to walk 10km to the river to fetch water every day. Although the water was dirty, they used it for all of their chores. Since the well has been implemented in their community, Lianna has enough food at school, clean water for household duties and has even started a garden at home!

“Water means life because without it there is no life.”

Favour – Loormeuti Primary School, Kenya

Favour dreams of becoming a teacher because she admires her teachers at school. At home, she is in charge of looking after the cows, washing dishes & clothes, and fetching water. Favour used to leave school early in order to find river water to bring home. Having clean water has eliminated her absences from school and allowed her to focus on her studies and fulfilling her dream.

“Water is everything to me.”