Week1
Helen and I flew with Dave and Anna and 3 young kids on Saturday 22nd, to visit our SaltPeter Trust and EFOD projects, allowing us to assist Anna and family as they return to Uganda with a 2 month old baby. Week 1 was dominated by the completion of the Malera Borehole Refurbishment Project, a scheme by EFOD Cardiff. A borehole from 1947 has continued to provide copious volumes of water for many years, but a Diesel engine and steel storage tanks had been destroyed by civil unrest and the ravages of time, replaced by a simple hand pump. Over the last 3 years, a team of 18 young construction professionals have been evaluating, planning, designing, and supervising the construction of a solar powered pumping system from the borehole into new tanks to supply water to the local population of 500 homes and to 2 new cattle troughs for cattle, goats and sheep. With a capital cost of £20,000 raised from the industry and sponsored events, and £15000 for 15 visits, supported in part by the Welsh Government, EFOD have enhanced the management and building skills of those from UK who have been involved. It has been a good week, and Friday was a great day when the scheme was finally handed over to the local borehole committee with a celebration with 600 in attendance. We were featured on Smile TV on Saturday night, although Dave and Anna have no TV, so I hope to collect a copy from the cameraman tomorrow morning. Continued work with the community is now necessary to ensure they collect monthly dues (40p per household) to ensure funds are available for regular maintenance, necessary to guarantee a constant supply of clean water from 40m below ground level. Meantime Helen has been helping Anna to settle into life with a family of 5. I think I have had the easier time! There are several other projects for us both to visit, evaluate and guide, but more of that later. Sunday saw us at Bethel Baptist Church, where they celebrated their 8th birthday with 3.5 hour service, which we confess to being a little on the long side! |