Africa 6000 International Makes a Giant Thirst-Quenching Splash

On March 22nd, Africa 6000 International and its guests made a giant splash at Ritz-Carlton Naples with a World Water Day event that will drench the red sands of Africa for years to come. Special guests for the “Let’s Make a Splash” event included Fox News host Jesse Watters and his beautiful wife Emma, along with Goodwill Ambassador to Tanzania, Doug Pitt.

Africa 6000 International is a non-profit organization that drills large scale, solar-powered water wells in five African countries where water is scarce at best, and clean water is a luxury. Those countries are Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Guinea.

Jesse & Emma Watters were a perfect selection to help bring awareness to the amazing work Africa 6000 International is accomplishing in these African countries.

Jesse is host of both Fox News’ “The Five” and “Jesse Watters Primetime”. He not only brought insight to the world’s global water needs, but his fun, reporter-like nature provided great humor and gave the Naples audience an evening full of laughs as he shared stories from his 20-year journalistic career on the road. And how could you go wrong talking about water with a name like Watters?!

Goodwill Ambassador to Tanzania, Doug Pitt, and his beautiful wife Lisa also joined Africa 6000 for this years “Let’s Make a Splash”. Doug’s work in Africa goes beyond village parameters and deep into the legislative arenas of each country Africa 6000 International drills in.

Doug’s relationship with African presidents and government leaders is beneficial to Africa 6000’s ability to work in the heart of Africa’s water sector with seamless adversity. Relationship building is one of the keys to the success of the non-profit and Africa 6000 International is all about strengthening those relationships as it continues to bring clean water to some of the thirstiest people on the planet.

“This year we are closing in on 300 villages…all the recipients of clean, fresh, life-changing water via the construction of large, solar-powered water wells in each of these villages”, says Teresa Murtland, Executive Director of the organization. “We are currently drilling 27 new wells in all five countries to kick-off 2025.”

Africa 6000’s name is derived from the 6,000 children who were dying daily from waterborne disease when the organization began in 2007. Nearly 300 solar water wells later, that number is now reduced between 2,000 and 3,000 children.

“Even one child is way too many, but we’re getting there. What we’re doing is working”, says Murtland. Saving lives is key. Half of all hospital beds are occupied by people suffering from water-related illnesses. Almost 1 in 5 children die from these preventable waterborne diseases. Using its own teams and fleet of drilling rigs, Africa 6000 International constructs long-term water sources that transform communities. These sustainable solar projects change the landscapes of entire village regions, making way for medical clinics, schools, businesses, gardens and irrigated farms.

These clean water projects also eliminate hours of daily walking for women and children who are tasked with collecting the day’s water supply. A 15-kilometer walk to collect water is not unusual, and still water is often laden with bacteria including feces from animals who use the same watering holes, streams and runoffs.

Africa 6000 has taken all these issues into account. Manyof its solar-powered water projects include groundwater piping to connect villages, multiple distribution systems throughout those villages to eliminate longlines, and separate watering stations for animals like cows, sheep and even elephants.

In addition, by eliminating the long, dangerous, daily walks through the bush for water, children are now free to go to school. A world of new opportunities is now open to them.

Africa 6000 International’s projects are engineered for sustainability. An initial geological survey helps locate any obstacles that would impede the drilling process. The drilling rigs are then engineered to go to a depth of 200 meters if necessary. Once a borehole is complete, community leaders are trained to take ownership and maintain these projects.

“The reward is certainly in visiting the village well postconstruction and watching the women joyfully gather there in the morning to collect their clean water”, says Murtland. “They now have time for relationships. Their children are in school. Their family is no longer sick. It’s a beautiful process.”

To learn more about Africa 6000 International or help “Make a Splash” in Africa’s water sector, visit africa6000intl.org