Pap Onditi Pump Restoration Project – Kenya

This project is made possible through the partnership of Water Charity and the National Peace Corps Association.

This project has been completed.  To read about the conclusion, CLICK HERE.
Location
The town of Pap Onditi, just outside Kisumu, Kisumu County, Kenya

Community Description
The Kisumu area is fairly dry, like a lot of the Nyanza region.  The town relies on water from a dammed stream from Lake Victoria that is not potable and is drying up.
Problem Addressed
This area is being hard hit by the current drought in most of western Kenya. Water for the people in the immediate area is taken from a filthy dam shared with animals. This dam is also slowly drying up as it is not replenished. Drinking water is either purchased or sought some distance away. The pump on the local well that had supplied water to the community became non-functional.
Project Description
The project will repair an existing Afridev Reciprocating Hand Pump.
This project is being done in concert with the local Franciscan friars.  The village committee under the leadership of Fr. Jabedo has purchased the land parcel upon which the pump sits.  As such, its use will be controlled and safeguarded.
For several reasons, the pump has had the pipes removed as well as the pumping mechanism. The PVC pipes were stored in a home that burned and they are gone.
In short, the project will:
  1. replace the missing pump housing parts
  2. install the 110 feet of PVC pipe
  3. reinstall and replace (as needed) the pump components
  4. secure the completed pump.

Pumps across Africa receive a lot of abuse and generally end up with handles broken, parts needing replacement, and more. In recognition of this, nominal sums will be collected from all of the users to have enough on hand for maintenance and repairs.

Project Impact
The number of persons served is over 250 in the area and another 50 or so within one mile.
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Dave Rowson, RPCV
Monitoring and Maintenance
The local friars and the village committee will be responsible for monitoring and maintaining the pump, and performing repairs as needed.
Comments
Dave was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kenya until 2013. He and his wife Rebecca, first as PCVs, and then as RPCVs, have done many water and sanitation projects in Kenya in partnership with Water Charity.  CLICK HERE to see a collection of the work they have accomplished to date.
This project has been funded by an anonymous donor.

Conclusion of Pap Onditi Pump Restoration Project – Kenya

This project has been completed under the direction of Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Dave Rowson. To read about the start of the project, CLICK HERE. 

The project was designed to repair a pump in the village.

Dave reports:

The Situation:
The communal water well in the little area of Pap Anditi near Kisumu, in western Kenya, was lost due to the failure of the Afridev hand water pump. These water pumps have several points of failure when not properly used. The situation was further complicated by family politics and money issues. All of the internal pumping equipment had been removed and became unusable. Access to water became a critical issue with the last drought. The people in this area had limited opportunities for clean water at a reasonable distance and cost.

The Solution:
Afridev pumps are a fairly common device in Africa. After involving the community to identify all aspects of the problem, we consulted with the Davis and Shirtliff company in Kisumu. They are the leading water pump and supply experts in western Kenya. The solution was fairly straight forward. The pump mechanism and 110 feet of pipe were replaced along with the missing pump handle portion of the pump housing. The supply of water was restored and is in plentiful supply.

Sustainability of the Project:
Misuse and rough handling of these pumps is the major cause of their failure. A problem of the past was the ownership of the land on which the water pump was located. To ensure that these problems would not recur, Father Francis Jabedo organized a committee and formed an association of subscribers to access the water from the well. Each member paid a small fee to become a member of the water association and will pay a small monthly fee to access the well.

The main factor ensuring the long-term sustainability and avoidance of conflict over the well was the purchase of the parcel of land on which the well sits in the name of the association. The access to water is now in the common interest.

The Association:
The association has created a set of practices to ensure that the well is sustainable. Along with being a member and paying monthly fees, the following rules have been instituted.

• The pump has a distribution time in the AM and PM.
• The pump is locked with a chain at all other times.
• No children are permitted to use the pump.
• The manager of the pump is a paid position.
• Accountability for funds and a bank account have been instituted.
• Funds are allocated in the event of maintenance or repair.

Follow Up:
On our return to Kenya in April, we visited the village and met with Fr. Jabedo and many of the villagers. As the pictures indicate, the people of Pap Anditi are very appreciative of the generosity of Water Charity.

Thank you from us as well!

We extend our thanks to Dave, and his wife Rebecca, for completing this important project.