Wells Transform a Nigerian Community

For years, residents of Gombi Local Government Area in Nigeria relied on contaminated water sources, leading to frequent outbreaks of waterborne diseases that affected entire families and communities.

Working alongside the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s partner Civil Society for Poverty Eradication (CISCOPE), a coalition of more than 80 Nigerian civil society organizations focused on poverty eradication, local leaders rehabilitated 20 handpump borehole water wells. Today, those wells provide clean water to an estimated 10,000 people.

For Aisha, a 30-year-old mother of five, the difference has been life-changing.

“We used to walk two kilometers to fetch water from a stream,” Aisha said. “The water was dirty, and our children often got sick. We couldn’t afford medical care, so we relied on traditional remedies.”

That changed when a borehole well (a deep rock well that taps clean underground aquifers), was restored by CISCOPE in Aisha’s community. The result? A sustainable, local source of clean water.

“The day it was rehabilitated was joyful,” Aisha said. “Now, we don’t have to walk far for water, our children are healthier, and we can focus on farming and providing for our families.”

The project was built to last. Six area residents were trained as technicians to maintain and repair the wells, including Aisha’s husband, Abubakar.

“The training was empowering,” he said. “Now I can keep the borehole working and help provide clean water for my community. It feels good to be part of that.”

Clean water impacts everyone’s life. Children attend school more regularly. Adults have time to farm and earn income. Across the Gombi region in Nigeria, more than 6,000 people have directly benefited from our partner’s work, with many more indirectly impacted as community health improves and opportunity grows.

When you give through the Presbyterian Giving Catalog, you help support essential needs like water, health, education and dignity. Your gifts make it possible for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to come alongside trusted partners — like CISCOPE in Nigeria — to support sustainable, locally led solutions.

As Aisha puts it:

“Clean water has transformed our lives. We’re healthier, more productive and proud of what we’ve achieved.”