I just returned from my trip to Ethiopia to install a fresh water system for the Karo tribe. I was joined by my well driller expert, Hans, and his wife Megan. The challenge was to pump water from the river up a cliff to a water tank in the village. 

Overview of the work on site:
1) Determine the optimal locations for the well, tank, and solar array.
2) Dig the well near the river, set the 10′ steel pipe and surround it with stones.
3) Assemble the solar array and mount it to poles, and set the legs in cement.
4) Build the 2 foot water tank base.
5) Lay out the wire and pipe between the well, solar panels, and tank, then dig trenches 18″ deep and bury everything at village level.
6) Complete the wiring to the electrical control box and assign a chosen responsible villager to oversee the daily operation. (Basically, we adopted one guy for life, lol.)

All in all it was an (almost) complete success. We got all the solar equipment parts on the direct-flight plane from Toronto, then through a nasty lengthy customs process on arrival at Addis Ababa without having to pay tariffs. Whew! It was all loaded into a truck and transported to the site; a two day drive.

We brought (and then gave away) camping and cooking gear, and had hired a cook to prep food for us at the village. Nothing like pasta when you are pooped. The villagers are way too poor to feed us. I brought tons of little gifts which we distributed throughout the four day stay, and I had a precious three used cell phones to give away.

We hired a local man, Johanes, to help with the logistics and transport of building material. Due to miscommunication we lost one day of construction work due to the initial purchase of the wrong size of pipe (2″) and a delay in the delivery of the 5,000 gallon water tank. The right size pipe (1″) was located in a town called Jinka. Johanes arranged for the 6 foot/50 pound coil of pipe to be slung over a guy on a motorcycle for the four hour ride. Only in developing countries would you see that on the road.

The villagers were amazingly helpful, considering the intense daytime temperatures. They usually hide out in the afternoon shade, but our tight timeline got them motivated: carrying rocks down the cliff to the well head, digging the well, digging holes to set the solar array in cement, and spreading out the 350 feet of wire and pipe. There were tons of digging. We bought our own pick axes, buckets and shovels and left them there.

For the tank platform, we built a beautiful level 10′ diameter, two foot high rock/sand base, and stood the tank upon it.

All in all, about 30 villagers pitched in on the various project modules. Some were absolute rock star workers and the morale was very high. We were completely bonded as a group, and truly great relationships were formed. An amazing and loving group, and I am the official Mama.

The elders held an opening ceremony, chanted to the ancestors, and had me bless a goat to be slaughtered. The women went back to their homes and only on occasion did they show up, but 20-30 kids of all ages were watching us with great curiosity and the able-bodied men all worked. We taught the kids some games on our slack day: tag, flinch, hopscotch. Adorable and remarkably healthy. 

My well driller expert, Hans, and his wife Megan, ran the show. He gave the orders, Megan and I got the work going. I was smitten by the heat, (70 years old is not fun) so not as energetic as I would have liked. Megan at 33, ran circles around me. We laid out all the tools, solar panels, wire and parts on a big tarp near the village communal kitchen hut, and hired a villager to guard everything as we used it up. He slept on the ground nearby every night.

We did everything right! But sadly, we underestimated the cliff height.

The maps I had said 250 feet. In reality, it was 350 feet. Hans was very philosophical about it as we completed everything robustly for 20 years of use. So we left with insufficient pump power to get the 5,000 gallon tank filled. Hans will have to go back when he can make the trip, and swap out that pump for a more powerful size. There’s a good chance that the solar pump system company will pay for his trip (fingers crossed!) as it will cost about $3,000 to get him there and back. Only he has the expertise to do it correctly. 

Donations are still welcome to support the tribe in other ways.

Jane Jacobson