Access to Clean, Safe Water in South Africa

We are all dependent on water for life; water is the very foundation for growth and development. There exists a universal need for society globally to become increasingly responsible about saving and utilising water efficiently. Access to running water in rural communities is unavailable and with the advent of disasters, water becomes all the more important. Gift of the Givers has long recognised this and we play an active role in assisting under-resourced communities secure access to safe, potable water and hygienic sanitation facilities.

Rural communities lack access to running water and for many generations South Africa has experienced drought over pockets of prolonged periods. The current cycle of drought became prevalent in 2017 and affected mostly the Northern and Western parts of South Africa. With dam levels drastically decreasing, the need to curb the Municipal supply of potable water was crucial. This not only affected households, but local businesses, schools and hospitals that, in many instances, operated under severe difficulty which sometimes led to their closure. 

The agricultural sector faced a mammoth task of keeping 1000’s of livestock alive. Grazing land had dried up, and their water supply so massively reduced that the animals would simply die from starvation or dehydration. 

Pleas from farmers and communities started streaming in to our head office. Our initial response involved the delivery of bottled water, but a more sustainable and environmentally- friendly intervention was needed. 

Providing water is an undertaking in which we have continuously remained active since the inception of the organisation. Our interventions include: 

• Drilling boreholes;
• Installing rainwater harvesting and recycling operations;
• Establishing point-of-use water purification systems;
• Operating a fleet of water tankers, taking water to desperate communities;
• Establishing desalination treatment plants; and
• Distributing bottled water (during periods of extreme circumstances)

We have the flexibility to rapidly adapt to every needy community’s requirement, delivering water provision solutions which most appropriately ensure the sustainability of life. In water-scarce areas, boreholes are a vital solution and we are integrally involved in such drilling operations, developing sites at schools, clinics and other central community points.