Embrace Relief’s “Fountains of Hope” wins third place at Pioneers in SDG Awards

(Sept. 27, 2023) – Embrace Relief is pleased to announce that its “Fountains of Hope” project, which has reconstructed more than 170 abandoned water wells in the African countries of Chad, Cameroon and Nigeria, has been awarded third place out of 64 entrants in the fifth annual Pioneers in SDGs Awards, sponsored by the Journalists and Writers Foundation.

The honor was announced at a virtual awards ceremony held over Zoom on Wednesday, Sept. 27, and includes a $500 cash prize that will support Fountains of Hope.

“Embrace Relief Foundation has demonstrated, through their project, exceptional commitment to addressing critical global challenges,” said Dr. Rajendran Govender, a Pioneers in SDGs Awards jury member and master of ceremonies, in presenting the award. “Fountains of Hope stands as a shining example of how dedicated individuals and organizations can drive positive change. It embodies the spirit of [the United Nations] Sustainable Development Goals, by providing clean and accessible water sources, a fundamental necessity for health and well-being, to underserved communities.”

The Pioneers in SDGs Awards celebrate organizations and individuals who steadfastly advance sustainable peace, development, and the preservation of a culture rooted in peace, human rights, and sustainable development. This year’s 64 nominated projects came from more than 50 countries across five continents, and each project’s achievements represent tangible progress towards achieving the 17 UN SDGs.

Embrace Relief’s nominated project, Fountains of Hope, was created in 2021 to address the critical water scarcity crisis in central Africa, where as many as 60 percent of water wells in the region are broken or abandoned at any given time. The heart of Fountains of Hope is the restoration of these broken wells, which provides the same quantity and quality of water as a new well, but requires significantly less cost and manpower. To date, 170,000 people continue to benefit from Fountains of Hope.

“On behalf of everyone at Embrace Relief, we are profoundly honored to receive this recognition,” said Kevin Meacham, Embrace Relief content development specialist, who accepted the award. “We are proud of the impact Fountains of Hope has made, and we are thankful to the JWF and the jury for recognizing this progress.”

Fountains of Hope addresses several of the UN SDGs, including:

SDG 6 (Clean Water), by providing an accessible, reliable, and safe water supply to communities that previously had relied upon untreated, unprotected and unreliable sources of water.

SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), by reducing significantly the prevalence of waterborne diseases like cholera, typhoid, and dysentery, which disproportionately affect people living in water-scarce areas like those in Chad, Cameroon and Nigeria.

SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), by enhancing agricultural production and promoting an increased quantity and variety of crop production, allowing communities to ease and, in some cases eliminate entirely, local hunger.

SDG 5 (Gender Equality), by reducing the time and effort required for women and girls to fetch water each day, and providing opportunities for them to complete their education, join the workforce or start a business, or take care of their families.

For more information on Fountains of Hope, or to donate in support of the program, visit Embrace Relief’s website.

About the Pioneers in SDGs Awards

The Pioneers in SDG Awards, organized by the Journalists and Writers Foundation, celebrate innovative and imaginative projects that contribute to the attainment of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The unwavering altruism, philanthropy, dedication, and commitment exhibited by Pioneers in SDGs nominees and award-winners are instrumental in cultivating a better world for all.

About the Journalists and Writers Foundation

The Journalists and Writers Foundation is an international civil society organization dedicated to a culture of peace, human rights and sustainable development. Based in New York, the JWF boasts more than 52 Global Partners (of which Embrace Relief is one) located in 27 different countries.

About Embrace Relief

Founded in 2008, Embrace Relief’s mission is to deliver research-based, sustainable solutions to achieve immediate and lasting improvements in situations of humanitarian emergency and improving the quality of life of individuals and communities enduring chronic hardships. Based in Fairfield, New Jersey, Embrace Relief operates eight humanitarian relief programs year-round and has provided aid to people in more than 50 countries to date.