Sustainable hand water pumps in the Usmabara Mountains, Tanzania A project of MamboSteunPunt in cooperation with FairWater

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Water

Clear drinking water is still not obtainable to all citizens in many African countries. When MamboViewPoint opened in 2008, for the 22,000 inhabitants in the area, only one pump was available. Most people fetched water from open streams or holes which reached the ground water. Many negative problems occur for people using these as a source of drinking water.

Water Projects

Tanzania is a beloved country for donors, a peaceful society, but still within the top 10 of the poorest countries. Vast sums over the years have been spent on water projects. But still the situation is far from satisfactory. Presently only 62% of the population has access to clean drinking water.

What has been achieved?

Pumps have been installed by donors, but the result was they were not to be sustainable and the pumps broke soon after installation as no maintenance program had been put in place. According to a RWSN report, May 4th 2010 in Africa roughly 50% of the 350.000 donated pumps are abandoned; this is also true in Tanzania. In and around Mambo you can find many boreholes which are no longer covered or in use.

In all cases the pumps were supplied free to the user, who took no responsibility for the maintenance. After a while the pumps broke and the bore hole was abandoned. Often the inexpensive rope pumps were placed in areas of high demand, and expensive mechanical pumps installed in areas of low demand!

In the eighties the Afridev hand pump was developed in Kenya and Malawi. This should be an example of a VLOM pump (Village Level Operation and Maintenance) suitable for use in Africa. Unfortunately this pump appeared to have many shortcomings, especially the availability of spare parts. Many pumps broke down soon after being installed, the result was that these pumps were no different from the cheap pumps that are still favoured by governments and NGO’s alike.

The sustainable Fairwater X-factor

Fairwater has finally developed a durable pump that should be more sustainable compared to other pumps and should last for many years with a little maintenance.

A distinction should also be made and taken into account if the ground water is found near the surface or if it is deeper underground. This factor will determine the amount of use the pump will get during its life time and the amount of maintenance it will require.

If an organizational model is developed in which the stakeholders feel responsible for the maintenance of the pump, abandoned bore holes and pumps will hopefully become a thing of the past.

Fairwater projects are found in Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo, DRC, Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoir, Ethiopia, Niger, Malawi, Mozambique, The Gambia, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Swaziland

How it now works in Mambo

The prime consideration for locating a pump are 300 people who are together prepared to pay an equivalent of 30 US dollars monthly for access to clean drinking water available all year round.

Then a contract is agreed with the community, the MamboSteunPunt foundation and a local company. The company; Jamii water, drills the bore hole and installs the pump. The company also collects the money for the pump manager’s wages and the maintenance. In cases of financial hardship support is offered by MamboSteunPunt. The workers from Jamii water are trained and assisted by MamboSteunPunt to ensure that the project will succeed and meet the needs of the local community.

Funding

Next the Blue pump is delivered by Fairwater. This pump costs US $3,250 and can be funded by a company or private individual. The ownership of this pump stays with MamboSeunPunt and the pump is removed if the community does not take care or does not pay the manager as agreed. The donor is then encouraged to use the pictures for advertisement and visit the people who are benefitting. This can be combined with a nice holiday in the Usambara Mountains.

The borehole is then drilled and the pump is put in place by Jamii water. They are assisted by local volunteers in the local community who will have access to the clean drinking water. The hand drill was funded by a Dutch insurance company and is used each time a suitable site meets the set criteria.

Every pump has a manager who is paid from the revenues of the pump. He is responsible for the proper use of the pump and collection of the money from the users for the maintenance. The manager is also responsible to make sure that the pump is clean and serviceable. The manager employed is always somebody who lives close to the pump and is appointed by the community. After the manager’s wages have been paid the remaining money is used for maintenance and payment for the cement to build the platform.

As the project has a strong involvement among the users, the control of the money and responsibilities are now in place to ensure the pump is properly used and maintained. This should now result in a sustainable supply of clean drinking water made possible by BleuPumps being brought to Mambo.

Donate a water pump in Mambo

Around Mambo we still need 80 (eighty!) pumps to supply average 300 people of clean drinking water.

The sustainable concept is in place the community don’t have enough means to buy the pump. Your contribution would make the difference to find additional information and help directly please contact us via:

www.MamboSteunPunt.org
www.MamboViewPoint.org
www.FairWater.org

Ayurveda Retreat in Costa Rica at Finca Exotica

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April 2-April 5: Basics of Ayurveda
April 7-11: In-depth intro into Ayurvedic living

Ayurveda or “The Science of Life” aims to avoid and treat illnesses by maintaining the balance in the body, mind and consciousness …
Learn basic practices to enhance well-being and energy for the mind and body through Ayurveda, an ancient approach to health care that originated in India. We will discuss the Ayurvedic daily routine and cleansing of the senses to promote physical, psychological, and spiritual thriving. Ayurvedic wisdom teaches us to connect with our deepest selves, the source of all healing. The fresh spices and herbs available on the farm like turmeric, lemongrass and ginger will also provide us the perfect resources to experiment with cooking and an Ayurvedic diet. Our guide through this experience will be Jonathan.

Jonathan Dahari-Lanciano
An Ayurvedic Lifestyle Consultant, Jonathan leads experiential workshops on Ayurvedic principles and practices, at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Lenox, Massachusetts. With additional training in Ayurvedic bodywork therapies and a background in Physical Therapy, Jonathan combines the science of Ayurveda with his knowledge of body mechanics to guide clients and students toward health and balance. He passionately spreads the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda in his signature style: down-to-earth, friendly, and thorough. This year, he also contributed to the book The Everything Guide to Ayurveda (2011).

PACKAGE DEAL: For those interested in an educational and experiential vacation, we are offering 4 days and 4 nights or 5 days and 5 nights stay with all meals included, an invigorating and enlightening schedule of activities including Ayurvedic theory and practice, tours of the Corcovado National Park and a 3 tiered waterfall (for the 5 day package), daily yoga classes and a tour of the farm and our sustainability.

RATES: 4 day package in a cabin – $700/ tiki tent – $520; 5 day package in a cabin – $885 / tiki tent – $660
If you are interested in more information please visit our website
Finca Exotica Ecolodge or contact Jodi at [email protected].