You may remember, we had a shortage of water when we first started building in Chilonga. This was not only a problem for us (buying and transporting water proved very expensive!), but also to the rest of the community, the members of the Water Committee told us. We joined their team and decided we needed to find a way to drill a borehole, which could be providing easy access to safe water.
With the help a board member of Kambisa! in the Netherlands, we managed to raise money from a Reformed Church in Rijswijk. Opting for solar power over a regular diesel-powered pump brought in additional costs and a lot of delays, but with the help of some private well-wishers and the plot owners, we eventually managed to overcome that too: we managed to drill a borehole, built a tank house and get a solar pump. Since the solar panels have been installed, the system has been working perfectly, without creating any bills or toxic gasses.
Happy chief
Our progress did not go unnoticed. Soon after the borehole had been drilled, the chief extended the plot – allowing us to get a bigger area, directly adjoining the existing road. The community grounds shifted, but the borehole could not. Hence, we dug a trench for some pipes to feed the nursery and the community outlet. Any water that may be wasted at the tap, is drained into a banana circle, which will be providing crops like bananas, cassava and lemongrass.
It has taken a bit of our budget, but the results are worth it, don’t you think? This summer, we will be digging extra trenches to help replenish the aquifer, and plants extra trees that wil help keep water and nutrients in the ground. This way, we may drain water from the ground, but give it back at least as much.
