Welcome to Miteng - a village near DIGDEEP's base camp in Kajo Keji, Equitoria State, South Sudan. The 600 occupants of this village are the Dinka people. 

See the whole project gallery on Flickr!

The people of Miteng have always gotten their water from a nearby stream that makes them sick. Several times a year the weather warms and the water begins to dry into stagnant pools. Then it starts to smell as the bacteria in the water begin to die. 

Can you imagine drinking milky water that smells rotten?!

Since their new well was built, Miteng has formed a small committee to make decisions about how the well will be used and maintained. Every DIGDEEP partner community establishes a similar 'Water Council'. One of the first things the Council decided to do was to impose a small tariff so that they can maintain and improve the well over time. 

The right to water supports other crucial rights, like the right to a political voice and equal representation, this time through the Water Council. Human rights for all!

True story. You really, really are. 

Mary Pita is 55 years old. She's lived in Miteng her whole life.

From Mary to you:

"Pita Mary is my name. I am 55 years old and married to Gonda Julius. God has blessed me with seven children, three girls and four boys. Some of them are married and others are still living with me.

I was born in this village and lived here until the time of the Civil War in South Sudan when I was exiled to Adjumani District, Northern Uganda in 1994. I came back to resettle in South Sudan after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that was signed in Kenya (in 2005). 

I get water for cooking, drinking and bathing from a stream that has caused a lot of sickness in our community because of drinking dirty water. 

I am so excited and happy for what the donor has done in donating this well! Thank God and thank you!

We collect a TON of project data; this is just a snapshot.

Every DIGDEEP project uses a Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA), measuring the way water access achieves other key goals like health, gender equity, and access to education. 

Every DIGDEEP project is community-led, using a technology specifically designed to meet local needs.

1 person gave funds

600 people gave effort

100% of both are changing the world

Some water charities separate people into donors and recipients.

DIGDEEP is different. 

We believe everyone, everywhere has the same right to water. This report is designed to show you that when we work together as equals, we can do amazing things. 

We don't expect you to give blindly... we expect you to appreciate that water is essential to everything you do. We'll use that awareness - and 100% of your gift - to provide support to communities in need. 

In a similar way, we don't expect benefitting communities to be grateful... we expect them to proactively defend the rights we all have in common.

You x Them x 100% = Change

Give the gift of water again, and we'll send 100% of your gift straight to another project like this one. 

You've already had such an incredible impact - let's make it even bigger!

We work with the local community to leave an empowering inscription on every project we complete! (It doubles as a handy place to record information like date and depth if we need to make a repair.)