“ Since our training, there hasn’ t been a well we couldn’ t fix. Our phones won’ t stop ringing.”
Fatimata, Sonder-trained mechanic, Burkina Faso
Fatimata, a Sonder-trained mechanic in Burkina Faso, is helping keep clean water flowing for communities long after wells are installed.
That moment was about more than a repaired pump. It challenged expectations about who can be a technician, who can lead, and who holds expertise. It also showed exactly why local mechanics matter. When something breaks, help does not always have to come from far away. It can come from someone already nearby, already trained, and ready to respond.
By the end of 2025, The Sonder Project had trained 27 mechanics in Burkina Faso, including 7 women, across 14 communities. For Fatimata, this work helps provide for her family. For the communities she serves, it means faster repairs, stronger local leadership, and fewer families forced back to unsafe water sources. It is sustainability in action.
How We Keep Wells Working
Sustainability looks different in each country where we work, but the goal is the same: clean water that keeps flowing for years. In Burkina Faso, where reliable repair networks are limited, The Sonder Project trains local mechanics directly. In Malawi, because a strong system of area mechanics already exists, we build relationships with those mechanics and provide community-based management training, so communities know how to care for their well and call for help when needed.
Sonder mechanics trained in 2025 pose proudly with their newly earned certificates.
2025 ANNUAL REPORT 17