This project has been completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Esther Baumann. To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.
The project was designed to repair 5 wells in the Bangu Village area. In actuality, much more was accomplished.
Esther reports:
Nine wells have been repaired! The project was successful, and the community is very happy about the repairs.
Cement was used to patch large leaks around the bottoms of some of the wells and to build more complete cement platforms around the well bases.
We also gave a rope and a small bucket to draw the water for each well. Many small children had been drawing water and creating makeshift tools to retrieve the water when it was low. Andrew, the VDC member and project supervisor, stated that he thought this was a safety risk.
The community is happy that the wells were fixed. Amayi Spoon stated that previously slow leaks would prohibit the shallow wells from filling up. Now she will not have to get up as early to make sure she gets water.
Apart from this project, we had intended to dig a new well. This has not been successful to date. The well was dug 20 meters during the dry season, but no water was found. We are now waiting until the dry season to dig in a new area. The supplies have been bought, and the money set aside for the labor.
We are grateful to Esther for completing this project, and again wish to thank AquaBio Environmental Technologies and Esther’s friends and family for providing the funding. This is a tremendous example of a community working together to provide a sustainable source of water for all the people living in the area.