In Mozambique's remote Cabo Delgado Province, international NGO representatives visit with locals to assess water well pump operation.

When water well pumps break, it may take months or years for organizations to address the issue. To prepare for maintenance activities, locals clear away debris from the well location.

Under supervision of the NGO, locals remove the pump internals during repair activities. The NGO engages residents so they learn the well/pump mechanics, thus giving locals a sense of ownership.

After pump repairs are complete, residents bring their colorful buckets and collect water. They oftentimes utilize a coconut shell for distributing water between buckets and washing their hands.

When pumps are not working, locals use nearby rivers and swamps to do laundry and bathe themselves. It is possible that wildlife or waste streams contaminate the water, thus increasing the dangers of widespread disease.

During each trip to a new region, NGO representatives have a specific number of wells to target for rehab. They pack enough materials and parts for the entire journey.

For each well, GPS coordinates are documented. In addition, a well report is generated to note the pump diagnosis, steps taken to repair the pump and the number of community member that the pump serves.

Depending on the severity of the pump malfunction, repairs might take 10 minutes or several hours. But once water flows again, children are usually the first to flourish.

When pumps are broken, residents can travel up to 5 miles (8 kilometers) to collect approximately 3 gallons (12 liters) of water. Without water, locals have poor health and no energy or vivacity.

During a pump repair, locals gather around a fence and curiously peer through its cracks.

A tiny local market has bottled water available for drinking. However, with little monetary income, locals choose to drink water from the well (adequate for health) or river / swamp water (usually polluted).

The wells reach depths between 25 and 145 feet (8 and 46 meters), thereby requiring manpower and tools to install and repair the equipment. The pump materials are imported; therefore spare parts management and distribution are oftentimes a hurdle in pump rehabilitation.

Well water is fresh, clean and healthy, and it acts as the main drinking fluid for local residents. While sitting on the floor, Mom and Dad wash down lunch with cups of water.

Temperatures in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique easily reach over 100 degrees (F) throughout the year. And with the dry, dusty conditions, children use the streaming water as a chance to clean their dirty feet.

After well rehab is successful, people of all ages utilize the pump to gather water.

Functioning wells bring fresh water to homes, but without sustainment and accountability, the efforts are a fleeting endeavor. In dawn's early light, a young boy drinks water from a cup while standing in the home's courtyard.

Commission by VOX United

Every human being deserves access to clean water. Yet for some impoverished countries, developing the proper infrastructure to provide water is not properly addressed. With almost 24 million people, Mozambique is one such nation – nearly 40% of its population lives without clean water. Residents without a proper water source usually access creeks and swamps to bathe, wash clothes and collect drinking water. This option is neither viable nor healthy; water availability can be sporadic, and the source is usually contaminated from wildlife and waste streams.

The local government and its entities (Public Works & Infrastructure) do not have the adequate resources to supply clean water. Therefore, much of the burden for developing a quality infrastructure falls on international organizations that are eager to tackle the challenge and make a positive difference.

To combat the water crisis, organizations initially install water wells; however, over time, the internal pumps malfunction and must be repaired. During visits to each well, the organizations perform maintenance activities. They document the failure causes, recruit locals to become mechanics and teach the residents how to perform repairs. Collectively they rehabilitate the wells to a working condition. The communities then have a sense of ownership as opposed to entitlement.

The aforementioned approach creates an environment for maintaining water wells in parts of Mozambique. However, to reach additional residents, more organizations must become involved. Furthermore, the Mozambique government must be committed and accountable for adopting, implementing and growing the system. There is promise, but until such time that these conditions are met, a sustained clean water environment is a fleeting endeavor.