Burundi is an east African country of just over 8 million people. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2006 an estimated 70% of people in rural Burundi had access to improved drinking water sources[i]. SHAPE analysis found this percentage to be much lower in Rugombo – estimated to be 40% based on a survey we conducted in June 2010. Obtaining adequate drinking water for this population is often not practical due to the distance from the source and its availability to the community.

Sadly, this leaves a large number of people without access to one of the most basic needs of life. The end result is that one of the leading causes of death in Burundi is from preventable diarrheal diseases. These diseases are caused primarily from drinking water containing parasites or bacteria. Burundi is ranked 166 out of 169 countries in the 2010 Human Development Index, and its infant and maternal mortality rates are among the worst in Africa with an under 5 mortality rate of 168 out of 1000 live births.[ii]

SHAPE is on a mission to reverse these statistics. We started a project in 2010 to introduce water purification units in the villages of Rugombo. So far we have fielded 17 units, which can reach up to 17,000 people. However, the purification units require access to well water to be effective. Our goal with this project is to introduce the first well in the rural area of Rugombo where 45,000 people live.

[i] World Health Organization clean water statistics for Burundi - http://www.who.int/countries/bdi/en/

[ii] "International Human Development Indicators." International Human Development Indicators - UNDP. United Nations Development Program. Web. 01 May 2011. http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/countries/profiles/BDI.html