NOVEMBER 2008
Congratulations to Careerbuilder! Fundraising is complete, and $4,500 has been wired to the Self Employed Women's Association, 1Well's field partner in India. Construction will begin in early December–January 2009.

About Guher
Guher is a small agricultural village in a semi -arid region of Gujarat, India. Guher lacks basic sanitation and water harvesting facilities for agriculture and drinking. Without basics sanitation, the village has become unlivable and unhealthy. The residents are forced to walk long distances to relieve themselves, which has created unsanitary conditions on the outskirts of town and increased disease. Since the village does not have proper water harvesting equipment, accessing clean drinking water is a constant challenge.

This project will build five toilets, five soak pits and four water harvesting tanks. The soak pits will serve as a sewage system for the village and will dramatically decrease disease among the community. The water harvesting tanks will store water during the monsoon season for use during the dry season when water is scarce. Each water harvesting tank will provide drinking water for a family of six for a period of six months.
Better health and dependable access to water will allow the people of Guher to work regularly and earn additional income for their families.

Impact
The construction of proper sanitation facilities within reach of the 46 families in the village will prevent the residents from walking long distances to avoid soiling the village’s water supply. This will create sanitary conditions in the village, decrease the likelihood of disease, and contribute to the overall health and well being of the village. In addition, the construction of five roof rainwater harvesting tanks will ensure constant and sustainable source of water for daily needs. Other projects to be commenced in Guher include soak pits to recycle as much used water as possible and a village-wide cleaning to decrease the threat of disease outbreak.

Women will save time from traveling long distances to obtain water, and will use time to earn additional income for their families.