Drill a well for 750 villagers in South Sudan.

WFSS Executive Director Lynn Malooly recently traveled to South Sudan with WFSS Board President Glenn Balch, Board Member Anne Turner, and Operations Support Coordinator Gary Prok. The U.S. team spent time with WFSS's South Sudan leadership team and staff at our compound in Wau and in the field. Always striving to improve and operate more efficiently, the visiting team observed operations and offered advice on streamlining some of our systems in South Sudan. 

The U.S. team was thrilled to have the opportunity to meet the South Sudan staff and some of the people that we serve. One of the sites they visited was the Zagalona School in Wau. WFSS installed a well at the school and in January, broke ground on our first sanitation project, latrines for the school. The latrines are on target to be completed by April 30th. "It was endearing to have all of the children greet us," said Lynn, "the sound of children playing is the same all over the world." 

The U.S. team was impressed with how hard everyone in South Sudan works. They have a hard life, even when made easier by having access to clean water it is still very difficult. When there is a well women still have to tote their water in jerry cans. However, they know that the water is uncontaminated and they don't have to walk so far, meaning that they are able to have more than just enough water to meet the minimal needs of their families. Now perhaps they have enough water to bathe everyday, to wash clothes, and to water a garden that provides food for their families.

The WFSS team works extremely hard as well and face many challenges in their work. Many tasks that are automated in the U.S. are still manual for our team. Traveling throughout the countryside is very hard on our equipment because roads are not paved where they are working. If something breaks down in the field, they have to figure out a way to make repairs. "The ingenuity of the team to solve problems is incredible," stated Lynn. 

The 2018 drilling season will conclude in May. To date this season WFSS has drilled 29 new wells in villages without access to clean water, rehabbed 6 of our older wells, and conducted hygiene training in all 35 villages, as well as implementing the sanitation project at the Zagalona School.