Conclusion of 52 Pumps in 52 Weeks – Senegal – Project 13 – Dassilame Serere Eco Campament Pump Expansion Project

Conclusion of 52 Pumps in 52 Weeks – Senegal – Project 13 - Dassilame Serere Eco Campament Pump Expansion ProjectThis project has been completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteers Marcie Todd and Garrison Harward.

To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.

Marcie and Garrison report:

As we said before this is the second pump we’ve partnered with Pape on and as such the work was pretty straightforward. Pape picked up the supplies for us and Garrison cast the cap the week before, so on the actual install day we only had to lift the cap, and install the piping.

We got there early and did precisely that… lucky number thirteen turned out to be pretty lucky indeed. No problems, no adventures, not even any stories really. Development work as an adventure with difficult struggles and beautiful cultural exchanges is certainly interesting, but sometimes there is just a need to be filled and the job gets done and that’s it. Not all that interesting but pretty effective.

Our most interesting part of this install was actually watching how all the tourists interacted with it. They watched us fascinated and then played with the pump afterwards. In the west we love toys, and to some extent water pumps are like toys, which is probably why so many of them get installed even if the particular model isn’t appropriate or very effective. Technology isn’t always better than manual labor. That said this pump IS better and much more efficient then pulling by hand at an appropriate depth. Dassilame Serere has a wonderfully shallow water table, which makes this particular pump very worthwhile.

Pape and Garrison are also now working on a project which will take this increased efficiency and magnify it by using the pumps to help distribute water to 6 basins spread throughout the field. Once complete no woman will have a plot more then 15-20 meters away from a water source. Previously they may have had to carry water upwards of 50 meters, a difficult feat when watering an entire garden.

Pump Output: 30 Liters/ Min

Total Number of People Benefiting: 64

Funder: Caroline Fahmy

Conclusion of 52 Pumps in 52 Weeks – Senegal – Project 13 - Dassilame Serere Eco Campament Pump Expansion ProjectConclusion of 52 Pumps in 52 Weeks – Senegal – Project 13 - Dassilame Serere Eco Campament Pump Expansion Project