Turkish charity dug 143 wells in 20 countries in 2020

ANKARA A charity run by Turkey’s top religious authority said on Monday that it dug a total of 143 water wells and fountains in 20 countries last year. The Turkiye Diyanet Foundation (TDV) has provided clean water to over six million people in countries suffering from drought and hunger since 2015, said a statement issued by the charity group. Ihsan Acik, the second chairman of the board of trustees of the TDV, said that efforts to dig water wells and fountains continue to increase every year. “…In every geography that has difficulty in accessing clean drinking water, we dig water wells and fountains with the support of our philanthropists. We strive to keep the legacy left by our ancestors to us,” he said. Underlining that millions of Africans are trying to survive with limited water and travel for kilometers with water canisters on their shoulders, he said the charity helps people get their basic right. He said that they dug 143 water wells, including 24 in Tanzania, 18 in Zimbabwe, 17 in Togo, 12 in Chad, nine in Senegal, and seven each in Burkina Faso and Mali, and six each in Niger, last year. The charity has dug 440 water wells and fountains in 32 countries so far. More than six million people have access to clean drinking water. "It is enough for people to turn the faucet to meet their water needs, just as in our homes. Since our wells are deep, they meet the clean drinking water needs of the people without drying out for many years,” he added.