Ndandini Water Project Update

More great news is that we can install a pump that will actually be able pump this volume of water and that we can do this within our original budget.  This is because we only had to drill to 90 metres rather than the full 150 metres so the pump has less depth to lift the water.

 

Our project manager Duncan has been out at Ndandini for the past week working on constructing the building that will house the generator.  The foundation and walls are now complete and preliminary work has begun on the roof.  We expect that the building will be complete about the end of July.  We will be installing the piping to connect the pump to the three water storage tanks and the distribution kiosk and then plan to have the pump and generator installed early in August.

 

The dedication of the well is scheduled for Sunday September 5th.  We are expecting many villagers from around Ndandini and Kyiathani.   There will be a group of 8 or 9 people attending from SecheltBC and we also expect several Rotarians from our Nairobi Industrial Area host club.  There may also be some other Rotarians from some of our partner clubs.

 

Beyond the scope of the Rotary Matching Grant project, we have also received a donation of almost $5000 from St. Hilda's Anglican Church  in Sechelt to be applied towards water for Ndandini.  While these funds were originally collected with the intent of helping to meet the shortfall in project funding due to TRF's lack of grant money, St. Hilda's has agreed to apply their donation towards "maximizing the benefits of the water from the well".  The first project that they are interested in funding is the installation of an Amiran Farmer's Kit  (drip irrigation greenhouse and garden) at the NdandiniPrimary School.  For Canadian taxable charity reasons, we are mounting this project under the sponsorship of the BellevilleOntario (Canada) Rotary Club (who has been following our project for over a year) with the management of the project being shared between them, our Sunshine Coast RC and our Saint John NB RC.  The project members will be myself, Tessa (Belleville RC) and Greg (Saint John RC).  Tessa has drip irrigation experience from volunteer work in Lesotho.  Greg has volunteer experience in Mozambique and Johannesburg involving solar and wind power.  We are all looking forward with great excitement to getting this project underway.  We are hoping that the greenhouse will be installed before the September 5th dedication celebration so that we can celebrate both the well and the drip irrigation project.  The people at St. Hilda's are eager to correspond with the teachers and pupils at the schools.  This could be a great on-going people to people project.

 

We have also been successful in raising the visibility of our water project in Kenya.  The sub-area chief is now a member (patron) of the Water Committee and has been instrumental in bringing onboard several other key individuals who bring organizational and leadership abilities.  These include the principal of the secondary school from the next town (Kyiathani), and the headmaster of the NdandiniPrimary School as well as one of the teachers from the primary school.  This will be most helpful as the Committee begins its operational responsibilities for the well.

 

I have also had some correspondence with the member of parliament for the area.  He is most interested in  what we have all accomplished and are doing for the area.  I am attempting to get him to look at providing some government funding to help with community development of the area.  It is important to try to get this help while there is still such good news from the area because of the new well.

 

I welcome any expressions of interest by any of our partner Rotary clubs in looking at any extension projects for the area.  It is unlikely that there would be any hope of TRF grant money for this and perhaps little likelihood of even getting much in District grant funding.  So it would more likely be a case of one or two clubs deciding to make a humanitarian effort without any grant funding.  I can help with either ideas or putting together possible partnering arrangements for any club that is interested.

 

On a final note, I will be returning to Kenya in mid-August and spend a week out at Ndandini to oversee the early stages of operation of the well and to work with the committee and community.  Jan & I will also be there on September 5th for the dedication celebration.  If anyone is interested in being there as well, and everyone is welcome, please let me know.  Arranging transportation to Ndandini and accommodation for the night before is difficult and does require my involvement even if you were to arrange for your own last minute flights to Nairobi.

 

We have prepared a DVD of the drilling trip.  We hope to have a version up on YouTube that everyone can see within the next week or so.  We will let you know when it gets set up.

 

Thanks again for all your support and we look forward to that day in the very near future when the deep well will be in production providing potable water for the people of the Ndandini area.