Water for life progress report.

The last entry was dated 28th August 2014. After  thanking the few people that had contributed to the appeal, I added that  the grand total was 400 euros.

Fortunately this was not the only help they got. The following organisations helped them very generously, so in the end they received 10,000 euros:

  Stiching Voor Internationale Komunikatie, Foundation WKV. AG, Asocio de Verduloj AVE. 

                         Although this was less than they asked for they made good use of the money.

                                        BEFORE young girls walked a long way to collect water.

 The good news is, that 10%  of Kalima's residents have NOW got access to clean water near their homes.

The bad news is, that 90% of Kalima's residents still do not have access to clean water, and too many young girls make long and risky journeys to collect unsafe water.

If you are interested in this matter, please read the chairman's report which follows and my previous posts about Kalima. 

 Here is the chairman's report.

ACTUALIZATION OF THE PROJECT 13.11.2014 - 27.01.2015.

In order to solve Kalima's drinking-water problem once and for all, Peasant Solidarity decided to launch an appeal for a project, estimated to cost, at the most, €1,000,000, that would ensure pure drinking-water for all the residents. However as Peasant Solidarity did not receive the entire sum, we decided to use the money to solve part of the problem. Choosing CAMP CENTRAL district as the beneficiary we estimated that 3000 residents would get pure drinking water. In other words - 10% of Kalima's residents would get a safe drinking supply. The € 10,000 grant was spent on materials, transport and salaries for technicians etc.

The project's phases.

1. 13 – 18.11.2014. Peasant Solidarity searched for and chose the most suitable well-spring and route from the source via General Hospital to Camp Central, where we intended to place the taps. Peasant Solidarity chose a source at OMARI CHAMI.

2. 25.11 – 5.12.2014 The second phase involved finding the pipes previously used by Society Sominki and determining their condition. As there is a long way between OMARI CHAMI and Camp Central finishing the project would only be feasible, if at least some of the pipes were still in good condition Thanks to Sominki's previous employees, who knew exactly where the pipes were located, this went well. Public Health officers tested the water at OMARI CHAMI and confirmed that it was perfectly satisfactory.

3. Purchase of tools and other materials (pipes, cement, adhesives, taps, pickaxes, shoes, knives and spades etc.) and digging trenches for the water pipes. Alphonse WASEKA from Goma kindly bought and dispatched the purchases. Ten young volunteers from Kalima dug the trenches and transported the materials. In order to safeguard the pipes from accidental damage that could occur on arable land we laid them in the forest.

4. The fourth step was to lay the pipes, connect them and check the water pressure. These operations were supervised by plumbers and other technicians.

5.

Technicians connected the pipes between General Hospital and Camp Central. During this operation we discovered that some of the pipes, that Sominki had previously installed, were contaminated. So to avoid polluting the water supply we had to buy extra pipes.

6. Construction of the public water-station at Camp Central. Three weeks later, when the walls had dried, we connected the pipes and the water began flowing rapidly.

7. 27^th January 2015 we invited the mayor to attend the inauguration ceremony for the public water-point, and the families finally turned on the taps and drank pure water.

III. PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE

Peasant Solidarity employed two plumbers to check the water pressure and professionally supervise the project. In particular their help was essential to cope with a blockage that occurred midway. In addition Peasant Solidarity employed two builders and four assistant builders to construct and tile the water point.

IV. RESULTS

We renovated the water-point at OMARI CHAMI, which had previously never worked, and we fortified the pump that serves General Hospital in Kalima. The hospital now receives abundant water and residents in Camp Central, Kiswakal, Camp Famille, Avenue Mapendo as well as some others in the vicinity now have got clean running water. We estimate that 800 families or 3000 people have benefited.

V. DIFFICULTIES.

90% of Kalima's residents are still facing the drinking-water problem. After installing a clean water supply in Camp Central many people asked us, why only there in Camp Central? Why not in our neighbourhood? In short, they are jealous of Camp Central's residents and they are angry with Peasant Solidarity.

As necessary materials were not available in Kalima, we had to buy them in Goma. Due to the non-existent road or rail infrastructure in the areas these goods had to be airlifted, which of course was very expensive.

Bank charges for money transfer were high.

VI. FINANCIAL REPORT

Grant: $11671 (message from Alphonse WASEKA 28.11. 2014)

No	Use	Kosto	Sume
1	Materials( Plastic and iron pipes, lubricants, adhesive, taps, etc.)	5724
2	Materials building( Bricks, sand, gravel, wood.)	1226
3	Transport costs from Goma-Kalima-Kalima	1979,6
4	Salaries(Plumbers and builders)	1500
5	Meals for volunteers 20 days.	600
6	Miscellaneous expenses volunteers	30
7	Hire of camera	50
8	Inauguration ceremony	100
9	Internet	64
10	Alphonse's travel expenses in Goma due to purchases	40
11	Bank charges	348,1
12	Total expenses Balance:	11661.7 9,3	$11671 €10.000

VII. CONCLUSION

The drinking water project was successful and we sincerely thank all our benefactors: Stiching Voor Internationale Komunikatie, Foundation WKV. AG, Asocio de Verduloj AVE and Betty Chatterjee. As a result of your generosity a small part of Kalima now has clean running water. Nobody could have ever imagined this before. Certainly the need is enormous, but we hope, that little by little one day the entire town will have clean running water. Understandably we hope, that you will still want to stand by Peasant Solidarity, so that we can together make the lives Kalima's residents happier.

I. RECOMMENDATIONS

To all our benefactors and to those of you who have not supported Peasant Solidarity, I should like to draw your attention to the fact that € 80,000 would enable us to provide Central Kalima with clean drinking water. Our organization is tiny, but we are really convinced that we can achieve a great deal, if only we can get modest support. Come and visit us and see for yourself what we are capable of.

On behalf of Peasant Solidarity /PIEADC

Etienne KATCHELEWA KANDOLO Chairman.''