HOW IT WORKS
Over many years of work and observation, we have found our technologies work best if individual families can be taught to drill and then make and maintain their own pumps and wells. The costs generally look like so for each area:
$100 -$200 total for materials in Bolivia.
$70-$80 total for materials in Nicaragua and Ethiopia.
In all three places, groups of 10 or so families form what we call a 'Water Club’ where these groups of people do the work and even pay for their own material, we just show them how. The sponsors lend a sponsor made rig and provide initial training for a group on site and physically help drill the first couple of wells with the ‘club’. Then the club works together until every family has a well. The club then returns the rig when finished. It is important to note that the sponsor needs to live in the area to be available for troubleshooting, encouragement, and follow up. If you are interested in being a sponsor, please let us know.
We recently received a report from Burkina Faso, showing a country wide survey found 80 percent of all community hand pumps on wells were broken. This is what we want to avoid. To help ensure these problems don’t continue, WFA would like to collaborate with partners helping designate one of the families who have the capability to help with maintenance, if needed.
STEPS
Step 1: Trial drilling stage with a paid crew. One must deal with subtleties in a new area and make necessary tweaks, etc. This might take up to a year or more with constant follow up of pumps and dozens of wells drilled. It might mean putting commercial heavy-duty pumps on most wells in the beginning and constantly monitoring the wells with our low-cost pump prototypes.
Step 2: Organize well clubs once the drilling technique tweaked and pumps proven enough for the area. This will take a full-time promoter with resources, transport etc. to start and encourage creating community water clubs.
Step 3: Continue expanding and training new "promoters" and expanding to reach more families.
We have seen water clubs train other members of water clubs etc. up to 5 generations. The promoter/club trainer is the most important component and needs to be committed and have intimate knowledge of the local culture and economy. We have found that without a promoter, clubs stop being formed.
The total minimum time in or view for the above to occur is three to five years. Serious groups contemplating a low-cost drilling program that empowers families to drill and make good pumps should plan to have a full-time promoter with resources for that long.
