Project 4: Ilkandururo
Ilkadururo is one of the 4 sub-villages of Lesoit and consists of 42 bomas (group of huts of an extended Maasai family). Prior to the project, women had to walk 4 to 7 km to get water.
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Some project summary data
Chronologie
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December 2019 Survey
February 2020 First drilling, no water!
The drilling company doesn't respect the contract, that stipulated 2 successive drillings
December 2020 New survey
done by the drilling company
January 2021 4 drillings, and one only with water!
February 2021-May 2021 Installation motorized pump and 14 solar pannels
Construction 30'000L tank
28 May 2021 Official inauguration of the site
Détails
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Beneficiaries 1'204 personnes
Drill depth 202 m
Water flow 2'200 L/h (en cours de vérification)
Project's total cost 47'560.- CHF
Participation Jack Guberan's
Foundation 46'000.- CHF
Surveys Hydrogéological Unit Internal
Drainage Basin Water Office Singida
MMJ Drilling, Mbeya
Drilling companies Target Borewells, Dar es Salaam
MMJ Drilling, Mbeya
The project in pictures
Phase I - Presentation of the project to RUWASA and the community of Ilkandururo
Before starting any project, a discussion takes place in the offices of RUWASA (Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency) in Kibaya. Indeed, like the other projects, that of Ilkandururo is carried out in collaboration with RUWASA and recognized on a national scale as part of the plan to improve access to water in rural areas. It is Mr. Mbaruku who is at the head of RUWASA and who manages access to water for the entire district.
Preparation session in the offices of RUWASA in Kibaya. Krysia presents the project in order to obtain the necessary logistical support.
Mr. Mbaruku travels in person to Ilkandururo to explain the project to the population and ensure that they agree to participate financially and to assume the tasks related to its sustainability.
The village chiefs take the floor one after the other. The decision to accept the project is made quickly and very naturally. It is indeed following the request of a group of women living in Ilkandururo that the project was born. They visited Krysia Cinelli during one of her trips, explaining the difficult situation of the sub-village and asking Elewa Africa to intervene
Phase II - Field study - December 2019
The Singida team for the survey, with Fadhili Magogwa, the local engineer, and the community. All full of energy despite a very rainy day
Phase III - drilling - February 2020
Arrival of the drill. Weather conditions make access to the drill point very difficult
This project began under the sign of challenges, which will multiply over many months, putting a strain on the committee, the workers, the authorities and of course, the community.
It took 4 days and a lot of branches for the drill to advance about fifty meters and reach the drilling point.
The community is there to help the workers. Many branches are placed under the drill to move it forward
Souvenir photo with the village chief and Maasai women
The drilling can finally begin
The drill begins to dig. Noise and dust invade the construction site. The drilling reaches 60 meters deep, then 80, 120, 150. The atmosphere on the site is heavy. The fear of a borehole without water lives in everyone's mind.
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The samples taken as the drill descends do not seem to convince the engineers.
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At a depth of 200 m, the drilling is interrupted. This is a first for Elewa-Africa. Drilling without water, with its share of economic and logistical consequences.
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Fortunately, the contract signed with the company provides for a second drilling and full payment for the deeper of the two.
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Krysia Cinelli, on the spot, discusses with the company, so that the second drilling envisaged by the contract can take place the day after, on the second point of the survey. Don't lose hope, just move on.
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The first tensions appear, because the company claims that one pays the first the balance of the first drilling before continuing. This is not provided for in the contract.
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It is getting late, we decide to continue the discussions the next day.
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Except, Target Borewells leaves the yard overnight.
Phase IV - The time for negotiations and the time to turn around (December 2019 to February 2020)
The drilling company gone, Krysia Cinelli begins negotiations by telephone to bring them back. The local engineer Fadhili as well as Mr. Mbaruku from RUWASA help, but nothing helps. Krysia must return to Switzerland before an agreement with the company is reached.
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Elewa Africadoes not give up and continues to solicit all the partners so that the second drilling is done according to the contract. In the end, nothing will do. We will have to give up and rethink the project from the start.
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Once again, we can count on theJack Guberan Foundationand its unwavering financial support.
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So we are looking for a new drilling company. Krysia Cinelli goes personally to different companies to obtain quotes, while having direct contact with managers. After the bad experience, direct contact should make it possible to establish working relationships based on trust.
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The MMJ company is chosen to carry out the survey and the drilling. The adventure can continue.
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Phase V - The second survey - February 2020
Francis from the MMJ company is carrying out the survey. A large region is studied and various points likely to give water are listed.
Phase VI - The second drilling, and by far not the last!
A year after the 1st drilling, we are postponing the adventure, hoping, this time, to find water
women pray
The drill sets up
Drilling can begin
The wait begins
The steel tubes are very heavy
Soon enough, the water gushes out, but there seems to be mud...
A bit too much...
The RUWASA engineer analyzes the samples taken and informs us that the drilling is not exploitable. Too much mud. We are forced to drill one more
Phase VII - We move the machines and we put a 3rd drilling
The condition of the roads due to the bad weather puts a strain on the arrival of the truck at the new site
Placement of the drill on the exact point of the survey
The inevitable prayer of the community
Refueling
We believe in!
The drilling can finally start
Water is gushing out, but a mixed sense of fear and hope fills the minds of the professionals, as there is still mud
Samples taken during drilling
According to the contract that Elewa Africahas signed with the company and RUWASA, a borehole can be accepted when the estimated flow rate is at least 4,000 L/h.
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However, this borehole does not seem to be able to supply more than 2,000 L/h.
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In accordance with the Jack Guberan Foundation, we decided to do a 4th drilling, but by doing a new field study, with more efficient machines.
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The survey takes place, and 2 additional drillings follow, which unfortunately will not give more water than the 3rd drilling. In view of the great difficulty in finding water, the decision was made to equip this borehole. The PVC tubes are installed and the 24-hour test performed.
At the sight of water, women sing and thank their God Enkai
Phase VIII - new survey and drilling 4 and 5
New field study
Borehole No. 5
Borehole No. 4
In view of the unprecedented situation, everyone is present: Mr. Mbaruku, at the head of Ruwasa, with the engineer, Fadhili, engineer from Elewa-Africa and Krysia Cinelli
In total, it took 5 boreholes in total, 4 of which were unusable.
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In agreement with all the engineers present, and following their valuable advice, the decision was made to equip borehole no. 3 and to be satisfied with the flow rate it could give.
Phase IX - equipment of borehole n° 3, 24-hour flush and pump test
2 types of PVC pipes:
with slots or completely closed
The tubes must be introduced in such a way that those with the slots are placed at the different levels where the water is
Flush, or borehole cleaning. Compressed air is injected until the water that gushes out is clean.
You can then perform the 24-hour test
Inserting the motorized pump
The motorized pump, which will run for 24 hours
Preparation of the generator
Installation of a temporary faucet
pure happiness
Phase X - Reservoir construction, motorized pump installation and solar panels
From February to May 2021, an elevated reservoir is built, a motorized pump installed, connected to 18 solar panels. Two distribution points complete the project and from May 2021 the community of Ilkandururo can benefit from access to clean drinking water.
The 18 solar panels
Concrete for making bricks
The bricks are made by hand
Excavation for tank bases
The bricks must be wet regularly
Construction of the 30,000 L water tank, raised
Excavations to connect the tank to the distribution points
Installing the pump and control panel. The tank being raised, there is a room for the panel and for the person who will watch the projects during the night
The project is finished and the beneficiaries can enjoy it on a daily basis
May 28, 2021: official inauguration of the Ilkandururo project
Local authorities and representatives set up for the ceremony
Representatives of the responsible committee
The chief of the village of Lesoit with two women from the community of Ilkandururo
The Maasai community, the first beneficiary of the project, is present in full force.
The community prepared gifts. Krysia receives a Maasai dress handmade by the women of Ilkandururo, all decorated with beads. The engineer receives a typical Maasai blanket
Place for dancing