Drilling for water

To connect with World Water Day on 22 March, ABC Local Radio is running a water awareness campaign called The 40 hour Drought. Listeners are encouraged to commit to using only 40 litres of water across a 40 hour period and to experience what it is like to live with a limited amount of water.

I have blogged here and here about the drought in Tanzania last year that brought the country to its knees when the hydro electricity failed and power was rationed to just a couple of hours a day.

While the rains have come, the local village water supply can’t meet the growing needs of the School of St Jude with its 870 children, plus 170 staff, plus building operations. This is why raintanks are needed at the school (see the Chipin tool on this page which is raising money for rainwater tanks).

New classroom building – gutters and downpipes, but no water tanks.

This new classroom building was finished in January this year, just in time for the new school year and an extra 150 students. There was not enough money to install water tanks, so the downpipes drain to the open ground.

Right now, the School is also drilling for a new borehole, praying that a new water source will be found to supplement the current supply.

Hoping to find water in the new borehole

In Tanzania, one of the poorest countries in the world, everything is harder! You don’t just open a school and focus on education policies, teacher recruitment and curriculum. You also drill for water and install water tanks. What’s next? Solar power?

Keep in touch, learn about it, and lend some help.



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