Charlies, got a question... but anyone can answer

[TF Kilo]

I've got an aquaintance who's non-military and apparently is helping with a religious mission to an african country that has no reliable water source.

They apparently have reliable rain, but using rain water catchment and purification is not going to be enough even with an acre's worth of land set up to catch water. I suggested a well.

My question: Without mechanical digging equipment (most well digging I have seen is effectively a mini-derrick on tracks up here) what would be the means of drilling a well, and what would the maximum depth to water table be with manual or semi-manual drilling equipment?

I figured if anyone would know, you guys would.