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Water is the source of all life. Yet across the globe, a staggering 2 billion people lack access to safe drinking water. Without clean water to drink, communities face dehydration, disease, and in the worst cases, death. Children cannot thrive, mothers cannot care for their families, and communities cannot build toward a better future.
Islamic Relief South Africa works to ensure that communities across our region have access to safe, reliable, and sustainable water sources. From drilling boreholes and rehabilitating water infrastructure to distributing hygiene kits and building irrigation systems, we address both the immediate need for water and the long-term conditions that sustain it.
The Scale of the Crisis
The global water crisis is one of the most urgent humanitarian challenges of our time. The figures below, drawn from Islamic Relief Worldwide and global humanitarian sources, reflect the scale of need and the impact that your support makes.
How We Provide Clean Water
At Islamic Relief, we have been working in over 40 countries for more than 40 years. We know that simply drilling a well is not enough. We bypass short-term interventions and high running costs to instead provide long-term, sustainable solutions that give communities water not just for today, but for life.
When we build a water system, we ensure communities have a sustainable source of clean water for years to come. We recognise the risks of drought, displacement, and disease, and our approach combines infrastructure with community training, hygiene promotion, and ongoing maintenance support.
Solar-Powered Boreholes
We drill and equip boreholes with solar-powered pumps, providing communities with a reliable, low-cost source of clean groundwater that operates independently of the electricity grid and requires minimal maintenance.
Rainwater Harvesting Systems
In areas where rainfall is seasonal, we install rainwater harvesting systems that capture and store water during wet periods, ensuring households have access to clean water throughout the dry season.
Drip Irrigation Systems
We install drip irrigation systems that deliver water directly to the roots of crops, reducing water waste and improving agricultural yields for smallholder farmers, supporting both food security and livelihoods.
Water Infrastructure Rehabilitation
We rehabilitate existing water infrastructure, including broken boreholes, damaged pipelines, and non-functional hand pumps, restoring access to clean water for communities that have lost it due to age, neglect, or conflict.
Hygiene Kits and WASH Programmes
Access to clean water alone is not enough. We distribute hygiene kits and run Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) programmes that educate communities on safe water storage, handwashing, and sanitation practices to prevent disease.
Emergency Water Trucking
When floods, drought, or conflict disrupt water supplies, we deploy emergency water trucking to deliver clean water directly to affected communities, ensuring that no household goes without during a crisis.
A Life Changed by Clean Water
Iqra Abdullahi, Islamic Relief rightsholder from Somalia.
A borehole providing clean, safe water to a community in Somalia.
What Islam Teaches About Water
In Islam, water is considered a gift from Allah and a source of all life. The Quran reminds us of Allah's power to give life through water and His authority over its provision. Providing water to those in need is therefore among the most deeply rewarding acts of charity a Muslim can perform.
This verse reminds us that water is the instrument through which Allah revives the earth. When we fund water projects in drought-stricken or water-scarce communities, we are participating in that same act of revival, bringing life back to places where it has withered.
Allah controls the water cycle entirely. Access to clean water is never guaranteed, and for hundreds of millions of people around the world, it is a daily struggle. Donating to water infrastructure is a direct response to this Quranic reminder, ensuring that communities have sustainable access to the water Allah has placed in the earth.
Water as Sadaqah Jariyah
Donating to water projects is one of the most powerful forms of Sadaqah Jariyah available to a Muslim donor. A solar-powered borehole can serve a community of hundreds of people for twenty years or more. A drip irrigation system can transform a family's ability to grow food for generations. A rainwater harvesting system can provide clean water through every dry season for years to come.
When you donate to Islamic Relief South Africa's water programmes, you are not simply providing water for today. You are building infrastructure that sustains life, supports livelihoods, and protects health for years into the future. The reward for this ongoing benefit continues for as long as the water flows, a living act of Sadaqah Jariyah that endures long after the donation is made.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Quran reminds us: "And We sent down water from the heaven in proper quantity, and We made Earth its dwelling, and We are Able to take it away" (Quran 23:18). Water is the foundation of all life, and access to it is never guaranteed. Providing water to someone who lacks it is therefore one of the most direct and impactful acts of worship a Muslim can perform. It addresses a fundamental human need, prevents disease and death, and, when it takes the form of a well or borehole, becomes a lasting Sadaqah Jariyah that continues to benefit people long after the donation is made.
Yes. Donating to a water project, such as a borehole, a rainwater harvesting system, or a drip irrigation scheme, is widely regarded by Islamic scholars as one of the most powerful forms of Sadaqah Jariyah (ongoing charity). The Quran teaches us: "And Allah has sent down rain from the sky and given life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness" (Surah An-Nahl, 16:65). A water source that continues to provide clean water to a community for years or decades after your donation is a powerful act of ongoing charity, and the reward continues for as long as the water flows.
In most cases, yes. Zakat may be given to the poor and the needy, which are among the eight categories of eligible Zakat recipients defined in the Quran (Surah At-Tawbah, 9:60). If a water project directly benefits individuals who qualify as poor or needy, it is permissible to use Zakat funds for this purpose. Islamic Relief South Africa ensures that Zakat funds are directed only to eligible recipients. If you are unsure whether a specific water project qualifies for Zakat, please contact our Donor Care team on 021 696 0145 or email info@islamic-relief.org.za for guidance.
Islamic Relief South Africa funds a range of water and sanitation projects, including solar-powered boreholes, rainwater harvesting systems, drip irrigation schemes, water infrastructure rehabilitation, hygiene kit distributions, and emergency water trucking during crises. Globally, Islamic Relief Worldwide works across more than 40 countries on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) programmes. The specific project your donation funds will depend on where the need is greatest at the time of distribution, and all projects are designed to provide long-term, sustainable solutions rather than short-term fixes.
A well-constructed and properly maintained solar-powered borehole can serve a community for 20 years or more. Islamic Relief's approach to water projects includes community training on maintenance and management, ensuring that local people have the skills and knowledge to keep their water systems running long after our field teams have moved on. This is what makes water donations such a powerful form of Sadaqah Jariyah: the benefit, and therefore the reward, continues for decades.
The number of people served by a single borehole varies depending on the location, the depth of the water table, and the capacity of the pump installed. A typical Islamic Relief solar-powered borehole can serve between 500 and 2,000 people, depending on the community size and water demand. In some cases, a single borehole has provided clean water to entire villages of several thousand people. Our Somalia water project, for example, provided clean water to over 7,000 villagers through a single borehole installation.
Yes. Islamic Relief South Africa is a registered Section 18A organisation (NPO 043-357-NPO). All qualifying donations are tax deductible under South African law. Upon request, we will issue you with a Section 18A tax certificate that you can submit to SARS when filing your annual tax return. Please ensure you provide your full name, ID number or tax number, and email address when making your donation so that we can issue your certificate promptly.
Yes, and this is one of the most meaningful gifts you can give on behalf of someone who has passed away. Donating a water project in memory of a loved one is a powerful act of Sadaqah Jariyah on their behalf. The Quran reminds us that water is a gift from Allah, and every person who benefits from the water source you fund becomes a source of ongoing reward for your loved one. To dedicate a water donation in memory of a loved one, please contact us on 021 696 0145 or email info@islamic-relief.org.za and our Donor Care team will assist you.
Islamic Relief is committed to maximising the impact of every donation. According to our published figures, 86 cents of every rand donated reaches the people we serve. The remainder covers essential operational costs such as field staff salaries, logistics, monitoring and evaluation, and organisational administration, all of which are necessary to ensure that projects are delivered effectively, safely, and accountably. We do not operate a 100% donation policy, as this would compromise the quality and sustainability of our programmes. You can read more about how your donations are used on the Islamic Relief website.
You can donate to our water programmes in the following ways:
Bank Transfer: Standard Bank | Account Name: Islamic Relief SA | Branch: Fordsburg | Branch Code: 005205 | Account No: 005318459 | Swift: SBZAZAJJ | Reference: Water + your mobile number.
Online: Visit donate.islamic-relief.org.za and select the Water fund.
Phone: Call us on 021 696 0145 or toll-free on 0800 111 898 and our Donor Care team will assist you.
Email: Send your query to info@islamic-relief.org.za and we will get back to you promptly.