Water ! and planning meeting

Tuesday 19 July 2011

Pump replacement project at Kipsongo well #1 went very well with the resulting water flow greatly improved!  Any work on a water well quickly becomes a village event with a lot of spectators and anticipation … women and children standing by, waiting for the water to return to the surface. Fortunately today, we were able to correct the problem and take care of their need … free water at their village entrance vs. paying for water or walking 1½ miles.

Following this project we met with 18 village elders to discuss the idea of another well half way into the village, to add a second water resource. This was obviously well received, although the location was debated a bit. After some discussion, we did walk the site options and came up with a consensus on the best location.

Meeting with these elders was a most memorable experience. This meeting, as do all their meetings, began with a tribal song and dance. Joyful in the face of so much despair … powerful. There were 10 of them who had been part of the original 36 families that the United Nations had relocated in 1968 from the northern part of Kenya, because of the continuing severe draught. When the UN departed, they moved from the displacement site to the current Kipsongo location in 1972.  The name Kipsongo simply comes from the gentlemen who owned the property. As a point of information, he is still alive today, being over 90 years old.

Digging this new well will begin tomorrow morning at sunrise (7am) and end each day at sunset (7pm) … the equatorial day. The entire project is slated to take 9 days. The digging will all be done by hand with the crew member in the 3ft diameter hole to a depth of 45 – 50ft. The rich clays of this region allow this without any concern of cave in. Yes, claustrophobia still must be overcome. The diggers are very-very experienced.  This shallow well will not be as sufficient as a deep well but timing wise will be more effective.  Subsequently though, Kipsongo well # 3 will need to be a deep drilled well (300+ feet) …  a future project, to be a 24/7/365 reliable water source.

Pictures:  Beginning to take apart the pump head, the new pump, inside the grey pipe at the end of the tubing string – prepared to go back into well, elders pumping water and enjoying, and the elders looking at the selected site for the new well.