Friends and Supporters,

Thank you!

The project that your support helped enable our team to complete in Kipingi, Kenya was an unbelievable personal experience for me and a turning point in the lives of those in the Kipingi Village. I would like to describe for you just a few moments from the trip that were important to me to give you a feel for the project and it's impact.

The experience of seeing the entire village turn out spontaneously as water started flowing was simply indescribable. As the drilling had dragged on for over a week already by that point, the vibrant crowds that we started with had slowly thinned to just a few stragglers. Somehow, without any evident communication, at least a hundred women and children showed up within minutes of the start of our test pumping. I can only describe the crowd that day as "jubilant." Everyone was singing and playing in the stream of crystal clear water.

Another day Jami and I were making the rounds of the local homes, talking to everyone about who we were, why we were there, and inviting them to attend the community training that we were planning to hold the following week. Caught in the rainstorm at an older widow’s home, I sat on the floor (drawing huge laughs from the women) as they taught us the right way to peel cassava. I did my best to “communicate by example” our respect for them, especially the women of Kipingi who work incredibly hard to support their families and communities. This was probably the best single moment of the trip for me.

In addition to our work at Kipingi, our team spent a lot of time building relationships with influential local leaders, government ministries and other NGOs. Kelly and I spent one afternoon visiting a local orphanage and school run by a bishop who turned out to be a very helpful in our efforts to build community ownership of the well. On our visit, we took a look a pump that they were having trouble with which was very similar to our installation. While neither of us could be described as a “pump expert”, the simple fact that they had engineers on site was valuable. We were able to give them some advice on what was probably wrong, and also information on how much it should cost. It was absolutely wonderful to be able to assist a local group and put our professional skills to use for them.

Thank you again for your support over the past two and half years that I have been working on this project and the five years that we have been engaged with it as a chapter. This has been one of the most challenging and rewarding phases of my life and I look forward to more EWB projects in the years ahead. Clean water as well as the social and organizational skills to sustain it can be life changing for many in Kipingi and this experience was certainly life changing for me.

With sincere thanks,

Rick Kuehn, Health & Safety Officer, Kipingi Project

Well Repairs in Kipingi are just too fantastic. Ehhhhhh!

Bill and Rick reviewing the composition of the sand for the new concrete pad

Kipingi kids and Rick collecting aggregate for the final concrete batch

Kipingi kid volunteer team

The new Secretary of the Water Committee- Spent Three Days Repairing the Well with his child in tow!

Bill the Mason

The number of people who came out to help was amazing

A sermon on social and communal responsibility

The new Chairman addressing the community.  Since his inauguration he has attended every meeting and provided real roles and action items (both long term and short) to the team.  

The complete water team - sans Maurice, a Pour Attendant

The complete water team - sans Maurice with the EWB team 

The water committee meeting about the schedule for the next day.  This team appears to really take their responsibilities seriously.

Rick and the kids after a hard day's work fist bumping

The water committee and the kid volunteers  cleaning up after the first day of well repair finishes

Rick attempting to carry the rock Kenyan style.  Immediately after this photo Rick dropped the rock.

The real men of Kipingi. I wish we had met these men sooner.  They are amazing.

Water Use Reporting and NGO Liaisons

Water Committee Officers responsible for maintaining regular contact with EWB-NNJ and other NGO and faith based groups who can bring more projects to the Kipingi Village.

The Water Use Reporting Officer will be keeping in touch with EWB-NNJ and the Health Ministry to report on hygienic use of the well, hand washing and sanitation concerns, and any unhygienic procedures followed by community members. Follow up action will be considered by EWB-NNJ, other NGOs, and the Health Ministry Representative, Mr. Tom Boi upon identification of hygiene concerns.

Maintenance Supervisor and Pour Attendants

Members of the Water Committee responsible for village level maintenance, scheduling of additional maintenance, and monitoring of proper pump use and maintenance of clean environment around the pump.

Pictures of the Water Committee Executive Officers

Not Mancala

We've been watching this game for weeks and finally got someone to explain it to us. It looks a lot like Mancala like we play it in at home, but the rules are very different. After a few games, Kelly had taken a few wives and beaten me in 3 out of 5 games.

Weekend Update with George Nagel

Week 2 was a very eventful week. The temporary pump test from last week had us energized and feeling great!

Monday the temporary pump was pulled out as the 24 hour test demonstrated that the static water level was going to be at 60m deep. The decision was made to lower the permanent hand pump, to 72m. A water sample was sent to Nairobi (7 hour drive) for chemical and biological analyses. During the afternoon, part of the group went to the "local" clinic to view the installation and potential water situation. The clinic had actually undertaken some reasonable efforts in rainwater collection and storage.

While at the clinic, some of the group, along with our accompanying teacher/interpreters, visited a nearby tobacco buying/receiving/ shipping facility while two of the members remained on site to oversee installation of the final pieces of pipe through which the water will be drawn from the well.

Tuesday, two of us, including yours truly, were not feeling up to par (to be positive) and remained at the guesthouse for the day. The others, on site, had the pleasure of attempting to hold the local mason, chosen by the contractor, to constructing the pad surrounding the pump according to specs. Suffice it to say that the Kenyan techniques for foundation preparations and concrete preparation are not the same as those to which we are accustomed. The on-site members spent the balance of the day demonstrating, or at least attempting to, on instructing the locals on concrete mixing, de-aereation and compaction of concrete.

Wednesday, all hands on deck today! Chlorine was added to the well to commence a 72 hour sterilization step, despite the fact that untreated water analysis results had not yet been received (government mandated requirement). The contractor finalized assembly and installation of the pump head and finally pumped some water! Flow was clear, though a little slower than I had hoped.

A colleague and myself went into Migori in the afternoon to meet to with the Water Ministry to finalize the details of the training program for the villagers scheduled for next week. When we got back to the site, the pad was still being worked on. At our insistence and with the assistance of a village mason who was fluent in English, we finally got through to the original contractor essential finish details. Ended up another dawn to dark day.

Thursday, as water sterilization continued and concrete curing continued, and on-site work was on hold, we decided to take a day off to visit a nearby game park. After a few detours and mis-turns, our driver found a way to be on a VERY rough "road", having no visible automobile traffic. In fact, it was so narrow that the tracks in the dirt indicated that it was only used by motor scooters! At one point I actually got out of the van to determine if the passage over a partially collapsed culvert was wide enough for the wheels of the van to pass. After continuing a few kilometers further down the "road" the driver pulled off the side and shut off the engine. A cursory examination revealed a broken oil pan (in the middle of nowhere!) Fortunately, a motor scooter came by shortly later and gave the phone number of a "local" mechanic. At about the same time, the only 4 wheel vehicle we had seen in the past 2 hours (and would see for the next 5 hours) came by and offered a tow. This worked well for about 200m when the tow strap broke due to having to pass over more rocks. The vehicle's owner was an official with the electoral commission, and offered to take us to the district office, and left us his phone number. As the mechanic was on the way, we opted to stay with the van for a while longer. After the mechanic finally arrived, assessed the situation, and removed the oil pan to take to his shop for welding, we opted to call for a ride. The balance of the day was spent in the commission offices until they closed. We then inspected a new "guest house" as a fall-back position, and retired to a local restaurant for something to eat. We finally heard from our driver that "repairs" had been finished and he was on the way. With his sense of direction, we were VERY surprised that he actually showed up an hour or two later. The drive back to Migori was a real butt clenching experience each time we passed over one of the ubiquitous rocks in the road. Just to make things even more interesting, the van started stalling periodically for no reason in the middle of absolutely nowhere. FINALLY, we got back home late in the evening, exhausted, and ready for bed. (By the way, we never did get to the game park).

Friday, we continued our newly discovered technique for determining school population by offering to give a pencil to each student at the new, local primary school. (We'd previously determined that "official" estimates of a school's student population are usually suspect) While there we assessed the viability of usage of rain water collection to supply the school's requirements (possible future project). We then continued to the larger, Machicha primary and secondary school to meet and address the scheduled, student's parent association to outline what THEY could do to raise funds and implement a rain collection system for the school. A treat, prior to the meeting, was a student singing and dancing routine to thank us for our efforts. It was very touching and enjoyable.

After the school assembly/meeting we hit the road for Kisumu (third largest city in Kenya and located on Lake Victoria, the source of the Nile River) for Team 1 to fly back home and meet participants from Team 2. Got back to Migori early evening and happy to be "home" at the guest house.

Sunday, today, we revisited the site to inspect the site and review things with Team 2 members. While there, George, one of our local contacts, stopped by say hello. We asked him to show us the location of a nearby project, which we examined for ideas. Following this inspection, we got back home mid-afternoon.

Until next week, when we begin 4 days of training, we wish you a good week.

George

The Pump is Installed!

The pump is finally complete! Well, for the most part. We have completely installed the pump system and conducted a pump test. This picture here shows the first drop of water coming out of the well since the pump has been installed!

After we confirmed the pump was working properly, local masons including a few Kipingi community members worked on a concrete pad that supports the pump and has been placed to ensure proper drainage. The last thing we want is a mosquito breeding ground.

All that is left is to let the concrete cure. We also added some chlorine down the well to do an initial disinfection. It takes 2 days for the chlorine to disperse. In the mean time, the well has been locked so no one uses it prematurely and we have met with several community members to talk about the proper use of the well. Everyone is excited to use the new well!

Made in Kipingi

Now, one may ask, "how do the Kipingi Villagers spend their day and how do they make money?". Well, you may have already deduced from previous posts that Kipingi is an agricultural community. A majority of the day is spent tending to and harvesting crops. The main cash crop for Kipingi (and for most of the ruraltowns we have visited in Kenya) is Tobacco. Rick and I were fortunate enough to stubble upon a tobacco packaging and selling operation in Pinyoyier (a neighboring village). The leaves that are harvested and let to dry for several days in a heated room in Kipingi are brought here to be eventually sold to the Kenyan Tobacco Alliance.

Almost all of the other crops that are grown in Kipingi is food for the villagers. They do have a small stand at the main road in the center of town to sell to passersby, but this is a very small amount in relation to how much is harvested every day.

After walking throughout the farmland these past few days, I have tried to compile a list of the different crops I have seen......here goes!

Aside from tobacco, the two most common crops are Maize (corn.....reference picture of woman thoroughly enjoying an ear of Kipingi corn) and Casava (a white potato-like substance that is a little sweet). The Maize is widely used to make Ugali which is, for lack of a better word, the bread they use to eat with almost all their meals. We are often greeted with a mound of it when the villagers invite us to sit with them for lunch. I have been promised a lesson on how to make ugali....stay tuned for the directions so you can make it at home!

There are also ground nuts (peanuts) which take on a completely different taste and texture when they are not roasted. We have tried them raw and boiled. Both ways have a texture similar to a harder piece of corn and a taste that is a little sweeter than the peanuts I'm used to back in the States.

Kipingi also has millet (which can also be used for ugali), sunflower seeds, red beans, pumpkins (yes, really), tomatoes, onions, green bananas, and papaya. I am sure there are more crops I am missing. Every time I walk around, I find something different.

To add, the villagers also raise cattle, goats, chicken (which are very, very tough), pigeons, rabbits, and some even catch small fish! (exclamation because it is too exciting) in the local streams. George, Rick, and Ted were fortunate enough to have the small fish! for lunch one day....their report was...."ummm...they were crunchy?" By the time Marina and I were able to sit for lunch, the small fish! were miraculously not at the table anymore....I guess judging by the guys' reactions, they new it was just too fantastic for us to handle.

After a long day of installation, the pump reached its final depth of 72 meters.  With a sustained dynamic level of 69 meters and a static level of 60 meters, this should give Kipingi and neighboring villages access to safe water year round.  At a total depth of 100 meters this is the deepest well in the area.  Tomorrow should be another long day of finishing the installation, testing the pump, sterilizing with chlorine and beginning construction of the platform.  Everyday we get a little closer to our goal.  Mos mos. (Luo for "slowly, slowly" or "bit by bit")

Marinna's Why

Starting with "Why. " Why am I here? Women and water are very closely tied here. The closer, more accessible and safer the water, the more opportunities the women an girls will have. Girls can go to school because they are note too busy collecting water. Women can start a side business because they have more time. Safe water is so important. It is one of the major concerns throughout the world according to the world health organization. Being able to help provide cleaner, more accessible water to this community is a great feeling. Seeing the women and their reactions to the installation of the well and their gratitude is amazing.

Ghostbusters or Drilling Foam?

Weekend Update with George Nagel

Dear family, friends, and donors

One week into the well drilling project and we appear to have finally achieved access to sustainable water.

Monday and Tuesday started off well prior to the drill bit breaking off at 70 meters below ground level. Despite a part shipped from Nairobi which was supposed to be able to pull out the broken part, we were unable to grab hold of it and had to abandon the site, thereby losing our two day efforts.

By Wednesday we had started drilling at new site 1 meter from the original, now abandoned site. This one went a little better and by Thursday we had drilled into strata supplying water. We continued drilling down to a depth of 100 meters (more than the length of a football field). At this point we commenced installation of the permanent well casing, screen, and top casing.

Friday we filled the gap between the outer casing and the above mentioned components with fine gravel, added a special clay called bentonite, and had to wait until the next day for things to stabilize.

Saturday was a very memorable day in that the next phase consisted of operating an electric pump for 24 hours to determine how much water the well was capable of producing. It was incredible, within literally minutes of the pump starting and water starting to flow, people started coming from all over to see the water flowing. The rapid spreading of the word proved, unquestionably, that the "jungle telegraph" is alive and functioning in Kenya.

The test ended this afternoon in the early afternoon. As a treat, we decided to "visit" another country and drove 15 miles to the border with Tanzania and walked across the border into the town across the border.

The adrenalin which has charged through us during the first week is diminishing and we are starting to feel it (both young and less young). As a result, we are trying to get done with dinner earlier and to bed earlier. Fatigue is not yet any concern for us as the drilling crew are the ones doing all the work. We are supervising, politicking the village that the is up to the future is up to their future efforts, attempting to learn some of the local Luo language, visit homes and schools, and entertaining the thundering herd of children who seem to always be surrounding us.

Well, off to a shower and to bed. Even following thunderstorms, it always seems to be hot and dusty.

Best to all from Kenya.

George

The Women of Kipingi

On two of the days, a few of us went around Kipingi and some neighboring homes to talk one on one with the women who will be using the new water pump. Our guides and translators were three well-respected female Machicha school teachers. It was very important for me to hear the women's perspectives, especially without the pressure of their husbands in the room. In this environment, I was hoping the women would talk freely about the issues related to water as well as any other problems the community may have. Unfortunately, Kipingi is still an area where male chauvinism is common, and often women are not put into positions of power, or can freely share their ideas and opinions.

One objective of the Kipingi Water Project is to establish a water committee that will be responsible for collecting funds that will go towards any necessary repairs or maintenance costs, ensuring the pump is being used properly and fairly, and coming up with any solutions or improvements to the pump system that can benefit the community as a whole. We are requiring at least half of this committee to be women.

After visiting over 15 households, I have a better grasp of the character of these Kipingi women. They are strong, sensible, and sometimes a little stubborn when it comes to doing the work right and ON TIME. (Rick got a good talking to the last time he was in Kipingi) These qualities are perfect for project managers! They understand the importance of clean water and the need to properly maintain the new water system. With women in charge and responsible for the main aspects of the project, I am confident the money collected with go towards the right purpose and the community as a whole will benefit in the end.

One noticeable trend when visiting the different houses was that the women who were widowed had improved roofs, advanced water collection systems, and an overall better working household. Women tend to use money more responsibly and buy things that are most needed for their families. Julian Ria Gudo is an elderly woman who lost her husband and who's three children go to school outside of Kipingi. She is living by herself, but takes care of a very productive farm. More impressively, she has a metal roof equipped with gutters which attaches to a rain capturing system. This is one example out of many women who I have met that have shown the capability to improve the quality of life for themselves and their family. Imagine what they could do if they were responsible for the whole community?

100 meters

Ibrahim summing up the drilling after reaching 100 meters and talking about the next few steps for the well.

More Kids and Cameras

India MkII pump info

The history of the India MkII and current debate over the best pumps for rural communities is really interesting...

The India MkII is the only extra deep (up to 95 meters) hand pump on the market.

The India MkIII includes the VLOM (Village Level Operation and Maintenance) but like most hand pumps is only rated up to 50 meters.

Learn about the India MkII http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India_Mark_II

VLOM pumps are definitely a step forward, but not without their critics and problems

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Village-level_operation_and_maintenance_%28pumps%29

WHO's opinions on Clean Water

Learn more about goals and issues concerning the provision of clean water around the world...

http://www.who.int/topics/drinking_water/en/

WHO's opinions on Clean Water

Learn more about goals and issues concerning the provision of clean water around the world...

http://www.who.int/topics/drinking_water/en/

The well has been developed!

We are now in the middle of a 24 hour pump test to determine the yield rate of the well.  The standing water level turned out to be a little lower than expected at 60 meters.  However, the sustainable yield rate looks to be about 6.6 cubic meters/hour at 67 meters depth.  More than enough to sustain the pump.  The water looks to be coming out clear and we are very optimistic.  We hope to be installing the pump by Tuesday.

India MKII Pump is on the way

After talking with the drillers, pump suppliers and some members of our technical team back home, we're accepting the recommendation of the standard India MkII extra deep pump. Maintenance will be more involved than with the VLOM cylinder, but we're having the manual translated into Swahili and Luo, so that should mitigate some of the downside of not using the VLOM. We also confirmed that there is at least one qualified repair person in the area.

Gravel Pack Filter around the Well

After the inner casing was installed, the next step is to surround it with a fine gravel (or larger gravel topped with sand) to form a filter. The gravel was topped with bentonite to form a sanitary seal below the topsoil.

Well Development

We've got the gravel pack and seal around the inner casing and have been working on developing the well with an electric pump. Pictures to follow, but what we see looks very promising - the water is coming up clear and we've been getting great flow, estimated at more than 2,000 liters per hour.

India MKII vs VLOM issues

We've encountered some differences between our design and the actual construction. Most of them have been no big deal, and mostly a difference between the equipment that we're used to and what is available here. This one might be big however - the driller has been unable to find a VLOM "Village Level Operation and Maintenance" cylinder for our pump. We're researching exactly what that means and how different that makes the maintenance. Obviously we want the village to be able to maintain their pump to the maximum extent possible - hopefully we can get this resolved quickly...

Kids Love the Camera!

It doesn't seem to matter where we are or who is around, as soon as a camera comes out, there's a huge crowd of kids that want their picture taken. (A lot of the adults like it too)

New Borehole video

The videos are lagging behind the text... The well that we are using is from the second borehole drilled - we had some problems with the first one. (we lost the drill bit and weren't able to fish it back out) This is the drilling foreman Ibrahim talking to George from EWB-NNJ about moving to the second borehole.

Water (and foam) video

Unfortunately this is the best quality video we can upload on our cellular data connection, expect some better footage once the first half of our team gets back home in a little over a week.

Water!!

Right now we are seeing approximately 2,000 liters per hour, roughly 8.8 gallons per minute. That estimate is pretty close to what we were hoping for (10 gallons per minute) at 92 meters. 7 meters still to drill, hopefully we can get a little more yield out of the well.

More from Day 1

Catching up on Day one Pics

Adding a Drilling Segment (video)

Kipingi Kids and George watching the drilling

This picture was taken on the second day of drilling. I love to see the number of interested community members and that it includes the men, women, and children. It is important for me to see women especially taking part in this project because in the end, they are the ones fetching water and walking miles to provide for their families. They are the backbone of the Kipingi community and they deserve a voice. One of our main objectives in this project is to do just that. We want them to be active members of the water committee, a group that will manage funds for the water system, understand how the system operates, and promote the importance of clean water. Women also are shown to bring back what they learn to their children. The more women are involved and understand the water system, they more the future of Kipingi will be involved and understand the water system. With only two days in and seeing how much the women are willing to be involved already, it gives me a lot of hope and promise that this project can be a long-term success. This sums up my why statement, to ensure Kipingi has an active involvement and a true understanding of the need for clean water, which will in turn improve the future of Kipingi with each generation.

Start With Why...

Like Simon Sinek says, organizations should start with "WHY" they operate. As a believer in this mode of thought I'd like to share my personal "WHY" for this project… Why EWB, why Kipingi and why water. (I hope to have all the other members of the project team share their why over the coming days.)

This is a picture of some of the students at the Machicha Primary and Secondary school outside Kipingi. At the moment, they have no reliable source of water within 4km of the school and have to go home during the lunch period to fetch water for the remainder of the day. The opportunity to help this community supply itself with something so basic as clean water that will have such a big impact on the lives of these students is amazing.

The philosophy of Engineers Without Borders is strongly community based, which is one of my favorite things about the group. We are focused on ensuring that the community is prepared to maintain the well and keep it clean and serviceable long after we are gone. In fact, we're on our way right now along with Ishmael from Kipingi to talk to the Water Ministry about a training program to help prepare the village to take full ownership of their well. This is their project that we are working on WITH them, not something we are doing FOR them. That's one of the things that makes EWB different and one of the reasons that I'm here.

So that's a little about my "WHY" -- Water is the cornerstone to build upon, and working with rather than for communities. And no matter how discouraged I can get or how difficult the projects can be, seeing the children is a community like Kipingi always refreshes my enthusiasm.

Day 1 Drilling Tailings

Tailings from Day 1 drilling down to 64 meters. The tailing start on the bottom right and go left and were taken ever 2 meters.

More Day 1 Pics