About Us |
The Fountains of Eden, a nonprofit organization, is committed to the restoration of Africa through the development of interventions that promote access to good water and that increase awareness of lifestyles and behaviors that prevent disease and help to sustain life.
Through the Good Water initiative, the Fountains of Eden collaborates with local partners and villages to drill water wells and to build capacity through training, education and technical assistance.
Access to good water that sustains life and promotes social well-being is a basic human right. Everyone in the world needs and must have Good Water!
"Water is a divine elixir, sustaining life in ways man has not yet come to fully realize…"
Dr. Qairo K. Ali, Executive Director - Fountains of Eden
Why is it important?
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Good Water Prevents Disease...
Everyday in Africa many people, particularly women, walk as much as 10 miles to the nearest water source. Without options, the days supply of water is often taken from an unclean source, which may contain dangerous bacteria like cholera and parasites such as guinea and flatworms.
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The burden of disease and ill-health associated with unsafe drinking water in Africa is astonishing. Africa accounts for 94% of the global total of cholera cases. Cholera causes severe dehydration resulting in fever, coma, and often, death. Guinea worms grow up to five feet inside the body causing excruciating pain crippling the carrier as it exits the body. And the flatworm larvae can penetrate human skin painlessly in 30-60 seconds causing Schistosomiasis or snail fever, causing more illness and disability than any other parasitic disease save malaria.
Sickness and death affect the ability of families to sustain themselves, rendering working adults homebound or worst yet causing significant reductions in life expectancy.
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Our Capacity...
Right now, we have expert drilling and training teams, state-of the-art well-drilling equipment, and drill mounted vehicles on the ground in Ghana and Kenya. These teams are prepared to serve the needs of Ghanaians, Kenyans and those in surrounding countries. Local villagers are trained to maintain equipment while we remain accessible to provide capacity building assistance to ensure ongoing access to potable water.
The needs are great, so we plan to employ more vehicles to allow us to provide a greater service in Africa.
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"Water is fundamental for life and health. The human right to water is indispensable for leading a healthy life in human dignity. It is a pre-requisite to the realization of all other human rights." - The United Nations Committee on Economic, Cultural and Social Rights, Environment News Service, 27 Nov 02
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