Water for life - an Isubilo project in Zambia

Here is Roger seated at the top of the amazing Victoria Falls in Livingstone, Zambia.

There is a vast amount of water in Zambia, but unfortunately it is not always very accessible to the people who need it.

Phil and John work with the Isubilo project in Zambia that cares for AIDS victims - primarily orphans and widows ...

... serving much-appreciated meals.

But we discovered that water was as great a need as the food that was provided.

At the Isubilo Centre they provide water from their own bore hole for those outside ...

... as many as possible ...

... providing a storage tank for the purpose.

Part of Isubilo's work is employing an agriculturist to help people grow their own food to become a little self-sufficient and provide a small income ...

... here Tanga is helping one of the orphans tend her own back-garden plot.

But water is needed too ...

The Isubilo Charity website

www.isubilo.org

The project

We are seeking support for the drilling of a number of wells in the Copperbelt region in northern Zambia:

The aims of the project are to:

• supply drinking water, initially at a number of sites in the Chifubu township of Ndola
• improve the quality of life of some of Isubilo's client group of AIDS sufferers
• support the watering of back-garden vegetables

In order to achieve these aims we propose to:

• purchase a cable percussion drilling rig - £9,500
• purchase hand pumps with the necessary well casings, cement and materials for five wells - £4,500
• start off the business of well drilling with a view to enabling local management as soon as practicable in association with the local Isubilo charity

Our story

New Wine into water!

In summer 2004 a group of stewards at the New Wine Christian conference were having a meal together and began to talk about water. There was an English couple, a Zambian and a South African.

Roger and Abbie from England had worked as volunteers with a project in Zambia called Isubilo and as a result of their involvement had been influenced by the project's vision and the needs of the country, particularly in Ndola. They had met the Zambian, Phil, who works with John (see left) at Isubilo overseeing two hundred orphans. They had brought Phil over to New Wine and there they met Gerry from South Africa.

As could be expected there was a lot to talk about - hopes and needs and aspirations in God, but one particular need emerged - the need for water of sufficient quality to drink and in sufficient quantity to irrigate back-garden crops. During the conversation Gerry happened to be able to phone a contact, there and then, to discover the sort of costs involved to sink a borehole and provide a supply of water.

Out of such a 'chance' meeting sprung the desire to really do something about this and so the seed was sown. Gerry's hope was to get something under way before Christmas 2004. Very soon this goal appeared hopelessly optimistic but nevertheless a real sense of purpose had arisen.

Well, well

Now we are much wiser and far more knowledgeable. We know a lot about well drilling and of the different ways of doing so.

We have talked with water experts from universities, various NGOs (Non Government Organisations such as World Vision, etc) and made many contacts. We have learnt much about wells and drilling rigs. We have also discovered that the best drilling rig available is made here in the UK. Additionally the manufacturer has been particularly helpful with advice and extensive knowledge.

Local water bored

The second part of our initial vision had been that we did not want to be simply water suppliers from outside. We felt keenly that we wanted to enable Zambians to have their own water drilling facility. We would start it up and hand it on. To initiate a locally sustainable project such as this presents quite a challenge.

Priming the pump

Thirdly we were very conscious that it would have been foolish to think that we could arrive in Ndola without a partner to help us locate the kinds of places we could drill and install pumps.

However, Andy and Eira Patching, the leaders of the Isubilo project, came to England and were able to meet Roger and Gerry. They spent a day of heart-warming chatting and vision sharing. The Patchings endorsed the idea and offered a trial location where we could develop the hoped-for expertise in well drilling! More than that they felt they could approach local church leaders to offer installations on church premises as points from where the local community could be supplied. They felt they would be able to open up other contacts and possibilities too from their various contacts and good relations with the local council and other groups.

Water-flow needs cash-flow

The well drilling specialist here in the UK (who has spent 40 years drilling in Africa) suggested a budget of £13-15,000 to purchase the rig, five pumps and locally-sourced well supplies. Using Gift Aid through the Isubilo charity we only need £10-12,000 of taxed income. This would provide an initial 5 pumps, the rig and a system that could then be extended for further wells.

It is worth noting that local companies typically charge around £3-4,000 for a well and hand pump. For the cost of 5 commercially-sourced wells this system, complete with drilling rig, will be in place for many more wells. Further wells will then cost between £650-£950 each (dependant on well depth).

Water-we-do next?

Medical Missionary News regularly send containers from Wickford, in Essex, to Zambia (42 sent last year). We intend to get the rig and drilling equipment, purchased in Sudbury, Suffolk, delivered to Wickford and thence shipped to Ndola for free!

It takes 10 weeks for delivery of the rig and pumps then three months for the container to arrive in Zambia. So, as soon as there are committed funds for the rig and pumps the orders can be made and preparations for the specific locations for the first five pumps can be negotiated.

Water is always on tap

We take our water for granted, we typically pay around £250 a year. It would only take, for example, 50 UK householder's water bills to pay for the whole project! This would supply water for at least 250 Zambian households per well. But with five wells initially there would be water for 1,250 households for many years - all for the equivalent of 50 annual UK water bills! And after that ... the rig's usefulness will run to many more wells.

50 UK water bills @ £250 =
            water for 1,250 households for many years

Let it flow

So how can you help? Please consider paying your water bill twice - the second time by standing order to the water project during 2005/6. However, any contributions will be well appreciated, helping us to achieve the goal.

To enable Gift Aid tax recovery please provide your name, address and postcode (this can be emailed if donating via bank bill payment method). Or email your pledge to water@rogertech.co.uk

Isubilo Charity

Registered Charity no: 1090539

Bank sort code: 20-69-40
Account number: 90652997
Reference: your name (on standing orders or payments)

If making internet banking payments it is essential to email your payment intentions to the Isubilo Charity treasurer, John Holman, so that the money is transferred into the water project fund - john@abacushouse.com

More information

Email water@rogertech.co.uk

The pump and rig

Example photographs from the supplier's catalogue