{"id":4370,"date":"2019-02-08T09:58:58","date_gmt":"2019-02-08T08:58:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/martinstiftung.ch\/all\/the-water-is-life-project\/"},"modified":"2025-03-19T11:06:16","modified_gmt":"2025-03-19T10:06:16","slug":"the-water-is-life-project","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/martinstiftung.ch\/en\/the-water-is-life-project\/","title":{"rendered":"The \u00abWater is Life\u00bb project"},"content":{"rendered":"

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History of the project<\/h2><\/div>
<\/span><\/div><\/div>[vc_row_inner equal_height=”yes” gap=”15″][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text css=””]The \u201cWater is Life\u201d project was launched on the initiative of Urs Egli, a Benedictine priest from Engelberg, who died in 2015. During his time as a missionary in Ot\u00e9l\u00e9 from 1955 to 2012, he found himself confronted with a high infant mortality rate and a population that was in very poor health. One of the main causes of the widespread infectious diseases was contaminated water, which the inhabitants scooped from open bodies of water and puddles.
\nFather Urs Egli\u2019s idea was to provide villagers with access to the supply of clean water deep under the ground by constructing simple but robust wells.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”vc_default”][vc_column]

Objectives<\/h2><\/div>
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  • To provide the rural population with naturally cleansed water from deep under the ground, so that they no longer have to drink contaminated surface water.<\/li>\n
  • To construct robust and durable wells that are equipped with sturdy pumps that are simple to operate by hand.<\/li>\n
  • To construct wells exclusively on public land or for charity organisations. The wells have to be accessible for all villagers, i.e. no wells are to be constructed for private use. They are accessible to all villagers. No private wells are being built.<\/li>\n
  • To integrate the local population into the construction work: villagers help with the construction of their well and share responsibility for its maintenance. The local community is required to form a committee responsible for looking after its well, reporting any problems or damage that may arise, and ensuring that money is put aside to cover the costs of repairs.<\/li>\n
  • To ensure the long-term operation of the well by carrying out periodical inspections, maintenance and repairs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>[\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”vc_default”][vc_column]

    Facts and figures<\/h2><\/div>
    <\/span><\/div><\/div>[vc_row_inner equal_height=”yes” gap=”15″][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]When it was launched in 1989, the \u201cWater is Life\u201d project initially set out to construct 44 wells, and subsequently increased this target to 400. In the meantime it has installed more than 1966 wells that provide around 450,000 people with clean drinking water. This is of course a highly pleasing accomplishment, but the need for more wells remains enormous: Around 60 percent of the more than 25 million inhabitants of Cameroon still do not have access to clean drinking water. Requests from rural communities for the construction of wells are still being received almost every day in Ot\u00e9l\u00e9. The \u201cWater is Life\u201d project is able to construct between 40 and 50 wells a year.<\/p>\n

    In addition to the construction of new wells, the maintenance of existing ones is an important activity for the project personnel. Every day, several teams set out for the purpose of inspecting the existing wells, and carrying out maintenance and repairs as necessary.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”2645″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”vc_default”][vc_column]

    Information and education<\/h2><\/div>
    <\/span><\/div><\/div>[vc_row_inner equal_height=”yes” gap=”15″][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]By no means all the inhabitants of the rainforest regions of Cameroon are aware of the fact that contaminated water causes numerous diseases. In view of this, the inhabitants of rural communities that are provided with drinking water wells are also given information about the importance of clean water. The project personnel also emphasise the necessity to keep the surroundings of the well clean and operate the pump in the correct manner. Each community is required to nominate people who are responsible for the well and for reporting any problems to the project team.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”2648″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”vc_default”][vc_column]

    Location<\/h2><\/div>
    <\/span><\/div><\/div>[vc_row_inner equal_height=”yes” gap=”15″][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]Ot\u00e9l\u00e9 is situated approximately 60 kilometres to the southwest of Yaound\u00e9, the capital of Cameroon, and comprises numerous small settlements spread throughout the rainforest. The drinking water project is based in the suburb of Nkolmelen, which can be roughly translated as \u201cPalm Tree Hill\u201d. Approximately 4,000 people live in Ot\u00e9l\u00e9 and its surroundings. Ot\u00e9l\u00e9 has two kindergartens, three primary schools, a high school, a theological college with 150 students, and a small hospital.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”2651″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”vc_default”][vc_column]

    Project infrastructure and geographic area of activity<\/h2><\/div>
    <\/span><\/div><\/div>[vc_row_inner equal_height=”yes” gap=”15″][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]The infrastructure of the project comprises a factory for the production of the various elements for the wells, a repair workshop, offices, a canteen and accommodation for the personnel, vehicles for transporting the elements to the construction sites, plus an own drinking water and power supply. The \u201cWater is Life\u201d project is managed by Swiss personnel and employs around 65 local workers. All its activities are coordinated from Ot\u00e9l\u00e9. These activities are carried out in a rainforest region that encompasses approximately 30,000 square kilometres of often very rough terrain. By way of comparison, the surface area of Switzerland is 41,290 square kilometres.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”2654″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”vc_default”][vc_column]

    Far-reaching benefits<\/h2><\/div>
    <\/span><\/div><\/div>[vc_row_inner equal_height=”yes” gap=”15″][vc_column_inner width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text]The aid agency \u00abwater is life\u00bb gives the population in Cameroon’s rainforest areas access to drinking water. The wells, however, are much more than water donors \u2013 they often form the basis for the development of people and village communities:[\/vc_column_text]
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    • Diseases have been shown to decline noticeably and child mortality is falling significantly. Both help people to be more confident and develop energy to improve their personal situation.<\/li>\n
    • Women and children no longer have to collect water from sites that are often a long way away from their village. This means they can use the time that is saved to go to school or contribute towards the household income.<\/li>\n
    • By forming committees, the villagers can gather experience in self-management and thus promote their own development.<\/li>\n
    • By organising information events, the project personnel can pass on important know-how about health and nutrition.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>[\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_single_image image=”2642″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row bg_type=”grad” bg_grad=”background: -webkit-gradient(linear, left top, left bottom, color-stop(0%, #706A54), color-stop(100%, #999165));background: -moz-linear-gradient(left,#706A54 0%,#999165 100%);background: -webkit-linear-gradient(left,#706A54 0%,#999165 100%);background: -o-linear-gradient(left,#706A54 0%,#999165 100%);background: -ms-linear-gradient(left,#706A54 0%,#999165 100%);background: linear-gradient(left,#706A54 0%,#999165 100%);” css=”.vc_custom_1556024542721{padding-top: 5% !important;padding-right: 5% !important;padding-bottom: 5% !important;padding-left: 5% !important;}”][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/4″][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″]
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      Every donation helps<\/h2><\/div>
      The St. Martin Foundation is an independent Swiss aid organisation that secures the financing of drinking water projects. In order to continue the activities of the \u201cWater is Life\u201d project in Cameroon, it relies on donations from companies, organisations and private individuals.<\/div><\/div>