A Record-Breaking Year of 45 Boreholes!
Makolekole Zambia was founded in 2014 by Gid and Adrian Carr, native-speaking, long-time residents of the Valley. Makolekole USA was formed as a 501c3 by a group of like-minded and passionate water warriors in 2022 to raise funds in the U.S. to help Makolekole Zambia scale from 200 completed boreholes to its goal of 500. When the last of the 500 boreholes is completed, Makolekole will have brought water to approximately 200,000 people and their descendants for generations.
Today, thanks to the generous support of donors like you, Makolekole is only 190 boreholes away from reaching its goal of delivering clean, safe water to 500 villages in the Luangwa Valley in Zambia.
We are thrilled to report that in 2023, our first full year operating as an official U.S. non-profit, we raised nearly $100,000, representing approximately 1/3 of Makolekole Zambia’s annual budget. This is in addition to the $116,500 contributed by Makolekole’s largest donor, the AJA Foundation (AJAF), which also directly facilitated the formation of Makolekole USA’s 501c3 to streamline fundraising in the U.S by making donations tax-deductible to US donors.
In addition to the significant funding provided by the AJA Foundation, they have donated the time of their Executive Director, Colleen McKenna to form Makolekole USA, recruit its board, and oversee its development as part of her duties for AJAF. AJAF has been a supporter of water projects in Africa for the last 15 years, having directly provided water to over 100,000 people in her capacity as AJAF Executive Director, Colleen has analyzed countless water initiatives and developed both the expertise and relationships to assess the effectiveness and worthiness of water projects. Colleen, who continues volunteering on the Makolekole USA board and in that capacity and her work for AJAF has seen first-hand the excellent track record and profoundly positive impact Makolekole Zambia has had over the years.
THE INVESTMENT
Explaining what we do is easy. Tap clean, safe water by drilling a borehole and installing a low-tech hand pump. It’s such a simple proposition with an immediate direct impact on the lives of so many. Each borehole requires an investment of only $6,500, which will change the lives of hundreds of villagers and their descendants in perpetuity.
Here are some 2023 statistics to put the impact of our work and your contributions into perspective:
- A total of 9000 + people gained access to sustainable, safe drinking water in the Luangwa Valley, bringing the total number of people who now have access to 60,000+
- Forty-five boreholes with handpumps were constructed in 2023. This is a new record for
- Makolekole
- Forty-five water management committees with at least ten members, half of whom must be women, were established and trained to manage their water systems.
- In addition to Makolekole’s ten local employees employed in warehouse, mechanics,
- engineering, logistics, and maintenance, six local Zambians were employed directly on the drilling team by Makolekole, all of whom have developed expertise in drilling boreholes and installing water pumps and systems.
On behalf of Gid and Adrian in Zambia and the Makolekole USA Board – Jessica, Brittney, Emily, Alicia, Oliver, Victoria, and Colleen – we thank you for your generous support.
