Peter Chasse:
Making a Change With Water
Everyday, there are people suffering consequences from the lack of water. Currently, millions
struggle around the globe in search of clean and safe water sources. Kenya, Africa is one of
the many places which faces this problem (The Water Project). Water is needed to drink,
wash, cook and for other everyday vital tasks. When contaminated water is utilized, it can
cause many illnesses, tragedy and problems in the lives of millions (The Water Project). In
order to stop this, Peter Chasse has created The Water Project, a non-profit organization
whose members travel worldwide to help support communities in rural countries who lack
access to water. Chasse does this through fundraising, by building and refurbishing pumps,
and through education (The Water Project).
In effort to provide these communities with water pumps and the resources they need,
Chasse has organized and conducted many different fundraisers. There has been a total of
1,703 different campaign events and counting (The Water Project). From this, The Water
Project has received over 14,168 separate donations from over 84,840 individuals (The
Water Project). The organization has even gone as far as to create a simple program where
people can create their own fundraising pages online (The Water Project). This campaign
works by having individuals and small groups of people raise money through friends and
family or through an individually-run fundraiser. The money which has been raised, then
goes to a community in need of a water project, where a well is built and the progress is
tracked (The Water Project).
The team of committed partners who work to bring water, also work on building and restoring
pumps (The Water Project). They do this by going to the small villages and towns, where a
geologist examines the ground and the possible water sources (The Water Project). After that,
a hydro-geologist studies the area and finds the best-suited place for the well (The Water
Project). Once this has been completed, permission from the government is granted with a
permit (The Water Project). From there, an intricate drilling machine is brought in to bore
holes deep into the ground (The Water Project). The rotary mud pump then goes through a
sequence of drilling, cutting, and spinning which breaks off the ground and accesses an
underground source of water (The Water Project). Following this, PVC pipes are installed and
a casting is put into place (The Water Project). These pieces are later used to transport the
water up to the top of the well (The Water Project). To finish it off, a cement platform and a
hand-pump are installed to directly access the water from beneath (The Water Project).
how to keep clean, such as encouraging them to wash their hands and use soap whenever