Project Status



Project Type:  Dug Well and Hand Pump

Program: Wells for Rwanda

Impact: 500 Served

Project Phase: 
Community Managed
Implementing Partner Monitoring Data Unavailable
Initial Installation: Aug 2011

Project Features


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Community Profile

A hand-pumped well was recently completed at the Nyamirama Secondary School and surrounding community in Rwanda. The community used to draw it's water from a nearby lake.  The school would often send a vehicle to gather water from this
source for students at great expense.  Now, both the school and
community are freed from this burden so they can pursue more productive
activities without the risk of illness from dirty water.

Our implementing team reported from the field that...

When the team arrived, community members were dependent on a municipal water system to meet all of their water needs. Community families had also been suffering from cholera, dysentery, typhoid, malaria, diarrhea and severe dehydration. The LWI Rwanda team was pleased to learn of the community’s use of a latrine, as this will help prevent further spread of disease in the area. During the team’s stay, community members assembled a water committee consisting of ten men and ten women who assisted the LWI Rwanda team with the water project whenever possible and provided food for the drill team. Most community members sustain their families by small scale farming and selling their produce at local markets. The nearest school is a secondary school located in the community whose students, teachers and administrative personnel all have access to the new, safe water source. Before leaving the community, the team provided community member, Vianney Nzabamwita, with a LWI Rwanda contact number in case their well were to fall into disrepair, become subject to vandalism or theft.

The LWI Rwanda team had an opportunity to meet with thirty-three year old community member and school headmaster, Vianney Nzabamwita, who stated, "The old water used to be coming at odd hours (midnight, for instance) and during the day it would be off. This made it unreliable and less in accordance to the demand so we had to buy lake water and transport it to school which was expensive. We are happy to have this well because it has water all the time and the cost will definitely go down. Thank you."

The LWI Rwanda team shared an introductory hygiene lesson with community members gathered at the well site. During the hygiene education, the team addressed: Disease transmission, germs, hand washing, proper water saving techniques, Oral Rehydration Solution, how to take proper care of the pump, how to keep the water clean, good and bad hygiene behaviors and dental hygiene.

We're just getting started, check back soon!


Project Photos


Project Type

Hand-dug wells have been an important source of water throughout human history! Now, we have so many different types of water sources, but hand-dug wells still have their place. Hand dug wells are not as deep as borehole wells, and work best in areas where there is a ready supply of water just under the surface of the ground, such as next to a mature sand dam. Our artisans dig down through the layers of the ground and then line the hole with bricks, stone, or concrete, which prevent contamination and collapse. Then, back up at surface level, we install a well platform and a hand pump so people can draw up the water easily.


Sponsors


215 individual donors
Rutgers Writing Program
The Brown Family: Nick, Catheryne, Helena & Viggo
IPAA NSW
Karen Oliver and Associates on behalf Eau Thermale Avene & Hubert Bevelsborg
The Granville Family
Schreiner and DeBoo Families
Internal Medicine Group
wedding Planning PRDS-123 Fall 2010
Twister Sisters, Fred Smith and Billy Bob
CDL, Inc.
Aqua Engineering, Inc.
The Williams Family