14 The oasis of Timia, Niger. Abundant water has not stopped the spread of preventable yet deadly diseases. In the background, one sees the Ayr mountains and a nineteenth century French fort, remnant of a colonial past. In the foreground lies the current infant cemetery, filled to capacity. 15 Returning from the market, Dogon Country, Mali 16 A bleak future for children in both Niger and Mali
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the well is the lifeblood of these villages and towns — the need to build more wells is urgent
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The need to build wells is urgent at the moment. In Western economic terms, the cost of building a solid, 25 metre-deep well (with pump) is negligible when com- pared to the benefit it can bring to an entire community, costing roughly the same amount as a lower-end laptop computer. In towns and villages, and across the many ethnic divides of these regions, a network of people wait for real and direct assistance from more economically fortunate people like ourselves. The trickle-down reality of many large and corrupted NGOs is insufficient, and time is of the essence. The well is the lifeblood of these villages and towns. With arresting strength, lean children buckle under the immense weight of overflowing containers before the long and dusty walk home. If we are to practice and preach sustainability, we should at the very least shoul- der the same burden. D
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