Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Benefits of Delivered Clean Water

Here are some recent photos taken around the Ndandini area since we installed the water tanks at the six schools and community garden, and provided the tractor and bowser to deliver clean water from the borehole to these tanks.

Below the bowser gets loaded with 7500 litres of clean water from the 48,000 litres of water stored in the 3 tanks at the wellsite.


And then water is pumped from the bowser into one of the seven 10,000 litre tanks located at the six schools and at the community garden.  It takes about 15 minutes to unload the bowser.









The rains failed again this last "rainy season" so the villagers are very eager to have this water.

The water is being used by the villagers to grow crops at the two drip-irrigation greenhouses that we have provided at the Ndandini Primary school and at the community garden.


   Here the ladies who volunteer their time are planting the first crop in the new greenhouse.


They have also planted crops in an outside garden within the one acre community garden plot which was purchased thanks to one of our very generous donors.


This maize at the community garden is the healthiest corn in the area because it is being watered.


Its great to see the willingness of the villagers to volunteer their time to start growing crops at the community garden for the benefit of the overall community.


Already the seedlings are starting to grow inside the greenhouse at the community garden.


Meanwhile at the greenhouse at Ndandini Primary School, provided as a result of a generous donation by St. Hilda's Church in Sechelt BC Canada, the 2nd crop of tomatoes is well underway.


And at the Kyaithani Secondary School, where we provide scholarships for 17 students, the student body is using the water to grow crops for their meal program and to water trees and bushes around the schoolyard.


 
While we understand the importance of clean water for drinking, for the villagers their most valuable assets are their livestock!  And using some of the water for their goats and cows means they don't have to walk them 10km to the dry river looking for water for them.  Already we have received electronic letters from the village thanking the donors for the water and telling how it has prevented many of their livestock from dying as they did previously from not being able to do the walk to the dry riverbed.

So much progress has been made since March 24th (2012) when the tractor and bowser first arrived and was unloaded, much to the amazement of everyone in the village.

The tractor has already undergone its first service.

While this project to get the water from the well to the schools and community garden has had its challenges, it has definitely been worthwhile and rewarding.

A very BIG thank you from all the villagers to our many donors within and outside Rotary.

Terry