Water is Basic is a non-profit NGO that drills clean water wells in

South Sudan South Sudan (; din, Paguot Thudän), officially the Republic of South Sudan ( din, Paankɔc Cuëny Thudän), is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of th ...

. The organization was founded in 2006 during a meeting of Sudanese church leaders, who decided that the local church's first steps after the signing of the

Comprehensive Peace Agreement The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA, ar, اتفاقية السلام الشامل, Ittifāqiyyah al-salām al-šāmil), also known as the Naivasha Agreement, was an accord signed on January 9, 2005, by the Sudan People's Liberation Movem ...

ought to be fulfilling physical needs. It is estimated that between 50% and 60% of the population of South Sudan has access to an improved water source, such as a hand pump, a protected well or – for a small minority – piped water supply. Water is Basic is the largest clean water non-profit organization in South Sudan. Water is Basic completed its first well on June 28, 2008 and has since completed over 500 boreholes and repaired 75 others to working condition throughout states of

Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known a ...

and

Western Equatoria Western Equatoria is a state in South Sudan. It has an area of . Its capital is Yambio. The state was divided into counties, each headed by a County Commissioner. Western Equatoria seceded from Sudan as part of the Republic of South Sudan ...

and

Jonglei Jonglei State is a state of South Sudan with Bor as its centre of government and the biggest city. Jonglei state comprises nine counties: Bor, Akobo, Ayod, Uror, Duk, Nyirol, Pigi, Twic East, and Fangak. Jonglei State is the largest st ...

. Currently, Water is Basic is led by

Bishop Elias Taban Bishop Elias Taban (born May 10, 1955) is founder of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Sudan and the non-profit Water is Basic. A former child soldier, Taban holds a diploma in civil engineering and an advanced diploma in theology. He served ...

, founder of the

Sudan Evangelical Presbyterian Church Sudan Evangelical Presbyterian Church (SEPC) was started by American missionaries of the Presbyterian Church in the USA in the northern part of Sudan. Missionaries were expelled in 1964. The SEPC has grown since then in northern and western Sudan a ...

and 2013 Clinton Global Citizen Award by the

Clinton Foundation The Clinton Foundation (founded in 2001 as the William J. Clinton Presidential Foundation, and renamed in 2013 as the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation) is a nonprofit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. tax code. It was es ...

recipient. On March 10, 2014, Water is Basic and the Permanent Mission of South Sudan to the United Nations hosted an event, titled "Women and Water in South Sudan," as a contribution to the 58th

United Nations Commission on the Status of Women The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW or UNCSW) is a functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), one of the main UN organs within the United Nations. CSW has been described as the UN organ promoting gend ...

. In August 2014, Water is Basic leaders joined 91 other individuals and organizations — including former US government officials, members of the UK Parliament, and leaders of advocacy and humanitarian organizations — to sign a letter sent to South Sudan's President

Salva Kiir Salva (Latin for "Save") may refer to: People * Francisco Salva Campillo (1751-1828), Spanish scientist *Ramon d'Salva (born 1921), Filipino actor * Héctor Salva (1939-2015), Uruguayan football midfielder * Salva Kiir Mayardit (born 1951), South ...

and former Vice President Dr.

Riek Machar Dr. Riek Machar Teny Dhurgon (born 26 November 1952) is a South Sudanese politician who serves as the First Vice President of South Sudan. Political life In February 2020, Machar was re-sworn in as first vice president following a revitalised ...

urging an end to the violence between the government and opposition leaders.

Operations

Water is Basic owns and operates two drilling rigs in South Sudan, run by two different crews. The decisions for where the wells are drilled are made by a combination of local Water is Basic staff and local leadership. Irving Bible Church, a nondenominational church in Irving, Texas, raised $1.7 million for the initial costs of purchasing the rigs, then signed over the equipment to the leadership in South Sudan. Today, Water is Basic raises money and awareness around the United States by showing their self-produced documentary short film, "RU: Water is Life."

References

{{reflist Development charities based in the United States Foreign charities operating in South Sudan Water-related charities Charities based in Texas