From pixels to pails, crowdfunded wells quench thirst in Senegal's drylands

By Ngouda Dione PODOR, Senegal - In the arid expanse of northern Senegal, women traverse kilometres daily carrying heavy buckets of murky water from distant wells and rivers. Water scarcity is so acute at this time of year that many communities face a dire choice: water your farms or quench you thirst. This dilemma drove builder and fundraiser Mamadou Diakhate to intervene. He turned to the internet, setting up crowdfunding campaigns where people can donate money to construct wells in communities lacking water. "In many villages, there were water problems, and this issue notably impacted on le...