Wells of Life

"Wells of Life (WOL) is a 501(c)(3) [faith-based] non-profit organization whose aim is to provide rural Ugandans access to safe and clean water. Their primary methods include installing sustainable borehole water wells and educating local communities on sustainable hygiene and water supply practices. It was founded in 2008 and has funded over 1,300 wells, primarily in the Mityana, Kassanda and Mubende regions of Uganda, all of which collectively serve more than 1,300,000 people. It is based in San Juan Capistrano, California and has built its headquarters in Mityana, Uganda. In 2018, Wells of Life founded its Irish counterpart, Wells of Life Ireland.

History
Wells of Life was founded in 2008 by [https://www.wellsoflife.org/our-story#:~:text=Meet%20Founder%2C%20Nick%20Jordan,little%20impact%20along%20the%20way. Nick Jordan], a real estate agent from Laguna Beach and a native of Ireland, who recognized the urgent need for clean water during his visit to Uganda. The organization constructed its first wells in February 2010 and was officially recognized as a 501(c)(3) non-profit by 2011. The Internal Revenue Service granted it 501(c)(3) status in 2011.

In 2015, Wells of Life was recognized as Forge54's sponsored non-profit of the year, receiving services valued at $574,725 from nearly 100 volunteers during Forge54's third annual 54-hour weekend volunteering marathon.

In August 2016, Wells of Life initiated a partnership with the Christian East Africa Economic Development Trust (CEED).

On March 12, 2018, the Kingdom of Buganda signed a memorandum of understanding with Wells of Life, endorsing their shared objective of providing clean water to the Buluuli, Kooki, and Mawogola counties of Uganda, where the need for water is most critical.

During the same month, Wells of Life purchased land in the Mubende region of Uganda to construct a 12,000-square-foot, $1 million headquarters.

In May 2018, Wells of Life established its Irish counterpart, Wells of Life Ireland, based in Navan, County Meath.

In 2019, Wells of Life launched Operation Restoration, a project aimed at rehabilitating non-functioning wells initially drilled by other organizations.

In April 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Wells of Life donated 10,000 bars of soap to local and national leaders in Uganda.

In September 2020, Wells of Life founder Nick Jordan received the Pope John XXIII 2020 Humanitarian Award. The Italian Catholic Federation, which initiated the Pope Saint John XXIII Award in 1970, grants this honor as their highest recognition to a layperson of any denomination who demonstrates outstanding humanitarian service to society. Perry Shurko, the Italian Catholic Federation member who nominated Jordan, stated, “No human being should ever be deprived of these essentials, and I applaud Nick’s extraordinary efforts to save lives and provide greater opportunities for Uganda’s poorest communities.”

In 2021 and 2022, Wells of Life hosted two of the top five galas in Orange County, as reported by the Orange County Business Journal, generating total net revenues of $1.81 million and $1.84 million, respectively.

In August 2023, Wells of Life launched Project GreenWell to revolutionize water access and sustainability in rural Uganda. By becoming an Area Service Provider (ASP) for preventative maintenance of wells, they aim to address the significant challenges current water management systems face and ensure the long-term functionality of rural water sources. Adopting a Professional Management Arrangement (PMA) approach through the ASP model, this initiative seeks to overcome the dependency on external donors and promote continuous water access while maintaining community involvement and fiscal responsibility. The appointed ASP is responsible for regular preventive maintenance and monitoring of wells, with any anomalies or issues being addressed within 24 hours. This approach, developed in collaboration with the Ugandan government and other organizations, aims to break the cycle of external donor dependency and foster sustainable water access.

Partnerships
Wells of Life has a partnership with the Honorable Charles Peter Mayiga, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Buganda. During their March 2018 meeting, part of which aired on NTV Uganda, Jordan and Mayiga discussed the consequences of inaccessible water in Uganda, as well as Jordan's goal of helping all of Uganda gain access to clean drinking water by 2038. Mayiga also sits on Wells of Life's Advisory Board, and in the summer of 2023 he visited their headquarters in San Juan Capistrano, CA to personally thank them for the contribution they have made by bringing water to the people of Buganda.

Wells of Life partners with the Christian East Africa Economic Development Trust (CEED) to drill its wells. CEED is a US-based non-governmental organization that has employed local Ugandans to drill and repair wells for more than 20 years. CEED is responsible for designing the sustainable well that Wells of Life places in villages.

In 2018, Austin Hedges, catcher for the San Diego Padres and a Wells of Life Ambassador, teamed up with Adam Wainwright's Big League Impact to raise funds for Wells of Life. Hedges asked donors to pledge an amount per Padres win in the 2018 season, and pledged to match their donations up to $12,000.

In 2020, Wells of Life partnered with She for She, a Ugandan-based social enterprise that provides sustainable menstrual kits to young women in rural areas. Wells of Life will provide a kit containing menstrual hygiene products. Along with providing the students with menstrual kits, Wells of Life will also host an education session with male students targeted at helping reduce menstruation related bullying.

Charity: water: In July 2023, Wells of Life and charity: water partnered to promote the sustainability of wells in Uganda's communities using water sensors. Wells of Life is in this partnership with Charity water to use their water sensors to improve well maintenance programs as well as the overall efficiency and effectiveness of each well. 50 sensors were donated by charity: water, so that Wells of Life can see the flow rate of each one of these wells, allowing them to quickly respond and fix problems as they arise.

Ugandan Water Project: In September 2023, the Ugandan Water Project and Wells of Life joined together to deploy "mWater" water point mapping as part of the Rural and Urban Management Information System (RUMIS) pilot in Kabale District, Uganda as well as two additional districts: one in the Eastern Region and one in the Karamoja Region.

MrBeast: In November of 2023, MrBeast had a vision to build 100 clean water wells in several different countries in Africa. Of those 100 wells, 30 of them were drilled by Wells of Life. MrBeast posted this video which you can watch here (Youtube Watch)

We Drill Wells
As of June 2024, Wells of Life has funded the drilling of 890 new wells in Uganda, primarily in the Mityana, Kassanda and Mubende regions. New wells can be the difference between life and death. Safe access to clean water creates sustainable communities. When they give clean water, they give time, opportunity, education, and empowerment. When a community receives clean water, they are given the resources of health, hygiene, and time to create a more sustainable society. Each new well costs $8,000, which includes drilling, maintenance, and repair costs.

The wells are personalized with plaques containing information about the well's donor. Notable well donors include Pedego Electric Bikes and Irish tenor Anthony Kearns. Local Eagle Scouts, as well as students from Mission Basilica School, Mater Dei High School, and Servite High School have also donated wells. A well was donated to mark the engagement of actor Miles Teller and model Keleigh Sperry, who are both Wells of Life ambassadors. Other wells have been dedicated to honor individuals posthumously: A 2018 well was dedicated to the late Reverend Billy Graham; Kearns donated a well in 2015 in honor of victims of the September 11 attacks; and a well in 2015 was dedicated to the six Irish students who died in a balcony collapse in Berkeley, California, that year.

Operation Restoration
As of June 2024, Wells of Life has funded the restoration of 422 wells. The only difference between a new well and a restored non-functional well is timing. Both communities suffer from lack of safe water. The receivers of a new well receive clean water for the first time. A repaired well has sometimes been non-functional for several years. Imagine once having access to clean water and then losing it because of a malfunctioning mechanical part. The result is the same: 1,000 people now have access to safe water. Wells of Life works to not only drill new wells, but to restore forgotten non-functioning wells drilled by previous organizations. Each Restoration well cost $4,000, which includes, drilling, maintenance, and repair costs.

Healthy Village
Healthy Village Program is also known as WASH. WASH is an acronym that stands for the interrelated areas of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene.

Clean water, sanitation, and good hygiene practices are essential for survival. However, in rural Uganda, these elements of life are still not at hand’s reach for many children and families. Access to water, sanitation, and hygiene remain one of the biggest challenges in villages, schools, and health centers throughout the country.

Wells of Life realized that while providing clean water; they were performing life-saving and life-altering services, but there was still more they could do for their friends in rural Uganda. So, in 2019 Wells of Life piloted their WASH program that they have since renamed the Healthy Village Program.

Wells of Life’s solution is to provide education and resources that encourage healthy sanitation and hygienic practices. The implementation of the Healthy Village Program takes approximately 6 months in order to educate the community on how to build and use latrines, ending open defecation and thus eliminating fecal contamination.

The cost of Wells of Life’s Healthy Village Program is $8,000.

Water Warriors
Water Warriors are a passionate and committed community of monthly givers on a mission to create sustainable communities through clean water. These people, from all over the world, are giving what they can to transform the lives of those in need.

Run4Water
Run4Water is the biggest fundraising event for wells in 2024. This event brings together schools, churches, businesses & families and allows everyone to play a part of the progression to bringing clean water to the communities that need it the most. For the past 10 years, this event has brought clean water to over 300,000 people in rural Uganda. [https://wellsoflife.rallybound.org/#:~:text=Join%20us%20SATURDAY%2C%20APRIL%2027,clean%20water%20to%2040%2C000%20people. In 2024, it raised $200,000.]

Financials
Wells of Life, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. They believe in transparency, ethical accounting, and donor stewardship.