The lack of access to clean drinking water is a huge problem in Chad. In this desert country, the average temperature is 40 degrees Celsius, and one has to walk sometimes even several kilometers to get water. That's why the blessing of each new well built by missionaries means a big celebration in the village. A certain paradox is the fact that to drill a deep well you need... water.

Sometimes it is necessary to carry it from a place even several kilometers away. It usually takes 24 hours to build a well, and you cannot run out of water during this time. The village treats the new well like a treasure. A committee is being formed to collect money to finance minor repairs, such as replacing the chain. This effort on their part is important

- Fr. Edward Ryfa, a missionary from Chad, says.

Lack of funds for the construction of deep wells causes the population to use hand-digged reservoirs, which are also used by animals - wild and farmed, often leaving their droppings in the process. Because of drinking brown, contaminated water, many people get sick and even die. In such conditions, every drop of clear water is as precious as gold.

After the rainy season, for two months, water can still be found in lowland depressions. Cattle drink it, people drink it.... When it dries up, they dig wells by hand. I once saw people working in the ground for several days, and the water from this 'well' was two buckets for a whole day. Digging a well by hand in this way is very risky, and sometimes fatal. The men who dig these wells poison themselves with gases that erupt from the ground.

We receive many letters from missionaries in Africa asking us to build wells in places where the local community has no access to a safe water source. Currently we are helping our Polish missionaries: Fr. Jakub Szałek, Fr. Edward Ryfa and Fr. Stanisław Worwa. Gratitude and joy - these are the words that come through in conversations with them when they talk about the construction of wells in Chad:  

I remember an old woman on a donkey who came with a water beaker. When she saw me, she shook my hand and her gratitude moved me so much...I had tears in my eyes. I felt that what we gave them was very important

– Fr. Edward recalls.

Thanks to you, more and more people can drink clean water every day. In total, since 2017, we have provided missionaries in Chad with funds for nearly 300 deep water wells (some are still being planned, as drilling new wells is only possible during the dry season). Each well means access to clean groundwater for up to 300 people!

Currently, the cost of building one well in Chad is exactly 3,200 euros. Thank you for wanting to make a difference in the lives of Chadians together with us!

Bank account numbers for money transfers are:

For $: PL 52 1600 1462 1847 3641 5000 0009; SWIFT: PPAB PLPK
For €: PL 41 1600 1462 1847 3641 5000 0013; SWIFT: PPAB PLPK
For others: IBAN: PL 79 1600 1462 1847 3641 5000 0008; SWIFT: PPAB PLPK