HOW WE BEGAN

 

  • In February, 2008, Gil Garcetti, former L.A. County District Attorney and nationally acclaimed photographer, spoke to  a women’s organization , "Salon Forum," started in 1993 by Barbara Goldberg, founder of Wells Bring Hope.  Through words and his very powerful photographs, Gil conveyed the dire need for safe water in West Africa and the plight of women and girls who toil endlessly to get water.
     
  • What the women of Salon Forum heard touched their hearts, and the next day they decided to take up this cause. The first thing they did was explore NGO’s (non-governmental organizations), to partner with to do the needed work on the ground.
     
  • They decided on World Vision not only for their experience and expertise in drilling in West Africa but because they do what no other  NGO does:  continue to work with villagers over 15-20 years!  Nobody else was doing that and to date, no other water cause does that.  World Vision offered the best financial model, enabling donors to  get a 5 fold return in terms of services delivered to a village  Another major factor was sustainability, an important consideration in every safe water project.
  • The next decision was where to drill. At that time, World Vision was working in three West African countries: Ghana, Mali, and Niger. When reviewing a list of "the poorest countries in the world," Niger was at the bottom. The fact that it also needed 12,000 wells, with the government only able to provide 10% of that was another reason we felt they needed our help.