March 14, 2010

A Letter from Steve Roese

Dear friends of Sudan,

Some months ago we received an appeal from Celestin Musekura, who was in southern Darfur at the time. It seems with most organizations getting ejected from Darfur by the government, the situation in the IDP camps was beyond description and the need for water is great. Being that Celestin is one of the founding visionaries behind Water is Basic, we listened closely but this project belongs to Sudan - they have to make the call on moving a rig so far away.

So, we immediately contacted the WiB team in the South and they decided to send our head-drilling chief on a fact-finding mission to see the need first hand and to analyze logistics.

Six weeks ago we received a budget for drilling 50 wells in Darfur. This effort requires some additional equipment and will move one of our rigs a great distance, but it all appears within reach. At about $7,000 per well, the budget is more than what it costs in the South, but still very double. Three weeks ago we initiated the first wire transfers to fund the purchase of two used trucks that will carry the additional materials needed so drilling can begin the first week of April 

Today we received word that the used trucks have reached Yei, Sudan!

The WIB team continues to increase with partners all over the country and donations from $1.00 to $25,000 keeping the clean, fresh water of life flowing. With the increased cost of drilling in Darfur we will need to increase our monthly cash flow from just about $30,000 per month to almost $50,000.

We need your help. We need it financially & we need you to help us spread the word. Water is Basic drills two boreholes per week, every week, in Sudan and every dollar goes directly to saving lives. In fact, in the South, 6 quarters - a $1.50 - provides clean water for one person for 20 years and in Darfur, it only takes $3.50 to improve someone’s life in unknowable ways.

Will you join us?

There is a lot going on and waterisbasic.org is the best place to see all that is happening. We update the website regularly with new images, stories and well reports.

Thank you for being a part of changing Sudan. Darfur, here we come!

Steve Roese

P.S. Next week I help coordinate and lead a group of Sudanese religious leaders in preparing for the upcoming elections and referendum. Water Is Basic’s influence in Sudan reaches deeper than water - we are on the front lines of peace.

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