Mambo!
Our previous update focused on the arrival of the drilling company. The water well seemed to be becoming a reality! The company drilled 120 meters into the ground, and to our great joy, we saw water come up. The only thing missing was a pump to actually bring the water to the surface. This pump was supposed to be supplied by another branch of the company, along with the solar panels that would power the system.
Unfortunately, in the weeks that followed, things didn’t go as planned. Due to the Christmas holidays and unexpected delays from the drilling company, we had to wait longer than anticipated. When we returned from vacation, the company was still nowhere to be found. Despite repeated attempts to contact them, we were unable to schedule a new appointment for the delivery of the materials.
Despite these challenges, we focused on the future of the project. Our goal was to establish a water well that would last for many years. To achieve this, we developed a maintenance plan, including annual costs and requirements. This plan has been incorporated into the educational curriculum of YEP Tanzania, ensuring that knowledge about maintenance can be passed on. Additionally, we developed a market strategy to cover the maintenance costs and conducted a workshop on this. In this way, we were able to complete our project sustainably.
Unfortunately, we didn’t see the drilling company in person again before our departure, but our Tanzanian supervisor assured us that everything would be resolved. We look back on this period with a sense of accomplishment and hope that the water well will make a significant difference for the farm and the local community.
