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?