One of the things that has happened around Drop in the Bucket is a growing sense of community. Though we can't claim credit for this we are very happy to be part of it. We will not start working on a well at a school without asking the local villagers to form a water committee. The water committee is a group of people that are responsible for the management and upkeep of the well. Unless a strong water committee is formed the chances of the well succeeding are seriously diminished.
	We also request that twenty of the most prominent families in the community each provide the project with twenty clay bricks. The bricks are very inexpensive and every village has someone that makes them. In fact almost everyone in the village has the ability to make their own bricks at no cost. The reason that we do this is to give the entire community a sense that this is their well and their toilets and they helped to make it all happen. Through experience we have found that this type of community involvement is key to the wells success.
Forming a water committee The water committee should be made up of members of the local school board, the prominent families in the community, local leaders, if there is a doctor in the village they should be asked to participate and women should be represented. The committee will be responsible for the entire system even before construction starts. They will be involved in the site selection and will organize the local labor that will assist the drilling team.
	Because the villagers assist in the construction of the well, they also gain a real understanding of how it works and what it will take to carry out basic maintenance. Some prominent families in the community that use the well will be asked to donate a small and easily affordable amount of money every month towards the maintenance and upkeep of the system. The water committee will be responsible for collecting and holding this money. Once a surplus is collected it should be used for the benefit the community.
After outlining the Africa Villages community involvement it would be difficult not to mention the involvement and the sense of community we are experiencing here. People have been raising money to pay for wells and complete water systems using so many different methods. One family asked 100 friends and relatives of theirs if they would each donate $35. The ended up paying for that first well in just a few months and are now on their way to well number three.
	Musicians have been raising money at their concerts, girl scouts, schools, families, friends, churches, community groups and co-workers are all getting involved in raising money for specific well projects. Everyone can participate in helping to provide schools in Africa with water, sanitation and hygiene, and we at Drop in the Bucket are deeply honoured and priveledged to be able to assist you all in providing these basic human needs to these children. Anything that you can do to help, it really will really make a huge difference.