Energy projects start with a vision followed by lots of hard work. Tom Carnahan, President and Co-founder of Upepo-Energy (far left) begins at ground level in Tanzania.
The previous source of water, a muddy pond shared with livestock.
My son, Tom, is in Africa. The village of Msiiki in Tanzania. Their only water supply was this muddy pond that the villagers shared with the cattle. No more. While the world was focused on weighty political matters here at home, it’s good to know that there were some small steps being made for humanity on the other side of the globe.
After months of difficult work, the people of Msiiki now have three wells—primitive by our standards—but still piping clean water to thousands for the first time. Upepo Energy in partnership with World Serve and the Tanzania Water Fund, drilled three wells, that will serve 15,000 people, many who have previously had to walk miles to a muddy pond for their water supply. This new well, shown below, started pumping last week and has had a steady stream of both young and old. Tom wrote that the spigots seldom turn off; there’s always someone there.
Children will benefit greatly from the clean, reliable, and accessible water supply.
The wells were drilled to a depth of +100 meters (about 328 feet). The first two wells hit water on the first try, but the third well had to be drilled twice before finding an adequate supply of water. Solar powered pumps fill the 1000-liter storage reservoirs that distribute fresh clean water from two spigots. A watering trough for livestock will be added to each location, along with a covered shelter with cell phone charging stations. Villagers will be able to visit and charge phones while they wait to fill their water containers.
The partnership that made it happen.
