Water Access Project in Maji Ndogo

Image Caption: A young child in Maji Ndogo clutches an empty water can beneath the shadow of broken infrastructure, with SDG Goal 6 prominently displayed—symbolizing the global urgency for clean water access.

Context: Maji Ndogo is a fictional country created to explore real-world water insecurity across Africa. Despite being an imagined case, the project aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6, demonstrating how data and strategic planning can drive clean water access, reduce gender disparities, and improve public health. This pilot used satellite data, crime reports, and field surveys to model effective interventions.

The majority of the population relied on rural water sources, most of them overcrowded or unsafe.

Only 28% of wells provided clean drinking water.

Queue times for water exceeded 2 hours on average, spiking to 246 minutes on Saturdays.

Gender-based violence increased in high-queue areas like Sokoto, where women were disproportionately affected.

Infrastructure investments (e.g., 7,093 RO filters, 3,379 new wells) raised clean water access from 34% to 66%.

Key Message: Water scarcity in rural Africa is not just an infrastructure issue—it’s a gender, safety, and equity crisis. The Maji Ndogo case proves that targeted investments and data-driven planning aligned with SDG 6 can cut queue times by 66%, reduce violence, and improve the lives of millions of people.