I took this photo in my first year as a PCV in Niger, West Africa in 1994. The photo shows 2 herdsmen pulling up water from the well. In my village, we only had one community well to draw water from. This well was shared by herders supplying water in troughs for livestock as well at villagers who needed water on a daily basis for cooking and cleaning. The well water was brown, murky and contaminated. As a PCV, I was issued a water filtration system with iodine drops and learned how to stream sandy water through a cloth to separate particles from water as much as possible. When I met with the village Chief to discuss the possibility of adding a fresh water pump in the village, I had his approval. I got a grant through Peace Corps. Quality of life improved for all as herders could use the well for livestock and villagers could use the closer pump for fresh clean water. I set up a committee to maintain the pump, collect donations from all households, and took the pump leaders to the city to show them whom to meet with and where for pump replacement parts.