World Water Day 2026: Celebrating 10 Years of Fresh Water!
Our first well was completed in April 2015.
Back then, the goal was just to build one well, to help one community that needed clean water. But the vision was captivating: More than 800 million people (at that time) lacked access to safe water, and it was right under their feet. Moreover, compared to other “big problems",” drilling a well wasn’t even that expensive.
The water crisis was a problem that could actually be solved.
A group of friends worked together to build that first well. Then they inspired their friends, and more friends starting working together. By early 2016, the big idea had a name: Fresh Water Friends.
Our first team in Orchard Park, New York
Ten years later, our Friends have built more than 600 wells in Africa and South Asia, and provided dozens of other water solutions in communities where wells weren’t the best or most feasible option. We’ve worked in slums, refugee communities, and rural villages to share gifts that transcend “just water,” showing suffering people that they are seen, cared for, and loved. And we’ve seen communities flourish, gaining health, education, fruitfulness, and prosperity - all because they finally have fresh water.
So we’re excited about these 600 wells… but we’re only getting started.
How You Can Help
The water crisis isn’t over. More than 600 million people still need clean water. And while that number seems overwhelming (it is a lot!), a local well remains one of the most effective resources, because everyone in the community benefits. Whether it’s a school, a place of worship, or a well in the village center, each well serves hundreds of people without discrimination, providing fresh water for as little as $15 per person.
You can give clean water - and help solve the water crisis for good. Click the button below to start transforming lives today!