This project has been completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer John Lee. The project was designed to build a borehole in Fobane.
To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.
John reports:
The goals of the project were to develop the economy of the village and fight unemployment by 1) creating jobs and 2) providing goods and services to the village.
Construction of the borehole commenced in late September and completed in early November after a total of six weeks. The borehole was dug to a depth of about 72 meters. After water was found at a depth of 50 meters, the borehole expert suggested to dig deeper to find a greater abundance of water. It was found that the borehole could provide about 1300 liters of water at full capacity and provide over 1000 liters of water daily.
The workers drilling the hole were provided food and lodging from the community association. Local villagers were employed to dig a furrow for wiring the control box, and also to construct safe enclosures for the borehole motor and control box. Thus, jobs were generated throughout the construction of the borehole.
One change that was made throughout the project was the change from an expensive, automatic control box to a more economical, manual control box for the borehole. This change was made because of the costs accrued from constructing a more secure enclosure for the borehole motor and control box than initially expected. We opted to sacrifice automated pumping of water for a more secure structure to guarantee greater sustainability.
The surrounding area of the village has poor water sources. Several villagers were interested in purchasing and fetching water from the borehole in order to satisfy their basic need for water. At the project’s completion, we provided water free of charge to local, thirsty villagers. They lined up their water buckets and we observed the real need for accessible water. A neighboring mother commented, “Water is a problem [in this part of the village]. This borehole is a blessing for us. We thank you so much.”
Looking ahead, the community association now has the essential resources of land and water to pursue other agricultural projects. Through these projects, more jobs and services will be created to combat the crippling prevalence of unemployment in the rural village of Fobane. We are grateful to Water Charity for providing the vital stepping stone for sustainable economic development.
We are grateful to John for completing this great project.
