"Most people rely on this water well for years; it’s a source of water and food security for all of them.”

Safiya Saidi is a 50-year-old Mandinka woman from the Gambia. She is a caretaker of a water well that has been serving her family and nearly 2,000 other Gambians residing in two villages for more than three decades.
Safiya shares that the water well served her and her family ever since she was a little girl. Since 1985, Safiya would come every day and take safe groundwater to meet her needs as well as her family’s. She states, "Most people rely on this water well for years; it’s a source of water and food security for all of them.” For these reasons, Safiya is keen on protecting the water well. She adds that she, along with other residents, voluntarily takes care of the well and follows up on its maintenance to ensure that it lasts for as long as possible.
The water well project is a product of SFD’s Saudi Program for Drilling of Wells and Rural Development in Africa, which aims to sustain livelihoods by providing sustainable access to water resources.
When water is available, life continues.