Water Hit!

After a VERY long wait with permit slow downs and drilling rig breakdowns, this community saw water struck today at 31 meters!!! They drilled as far as 65 meters before days' end. Looks like these folks will be drinking water in no time!

Red Tape in Well Drilling

When Lucas went to the Water Resource Management Authority to pick up permits for our 10 wells, he first learned that the office was no longer in Nanyuki but had moved to Isiolo. When he finally arrived in Isiolo he was met with many challenges. For our previous four well drills, we have always produced the Hydrogeological Reports, an application and wrote a check and permits were given on the spot. Not this time! Not until this morning, 21 days after Lucas' initial visit to the WRMA, did we actually receive permission to begin drilling (still waiting for permits!).

Lucas had to go back to EVERY community and get titles for the land we are drilling on. The challenging aspect of this is that no one "owns" the land in Samburu as it is the land of the community. He wrote agreements with the area chiefs, area counselors and key elders which stated that they were donating the land to the designated women’s group. When he went back to the WRMA with the Title Deeds, they then told him that he had to get a Constitution from EVERY women's group!!! Fortunately, Naibosho Women's Group in Wamba, an umbrella organization has representatives from all of the area's women’s groups. Instead of going back to ALL the communities again, he was able to use their Constitution. And lastly, a new association called the Water Resource User Authority has been formed. Lucas had to get three members of their committee to sign a letter saying that The Samburu Project has done a good job. Unfortunately, the three people who needed to sign live in three different places; Laikepia, Maralal and Archer’s Post which caused major logistical challenges.

After Lucas spent week gathering the necessary materials and return to the WRMA office in Isiolo, it turns out that the person who is in charge was away for some time. Then, when he returned yesterday, after Lucas spent three days waiting for him, the computers in the office were down.

All part of the adventures in well drilling...onward and upward!

Site Selection DAY 1

After surveying 5 locations, a viable well site was located. Below is an email sent from Lucas on July 20, 2011, referring to the attached photos, regarding this community:

Kristen...

"I cried when I saw how difficult it was for this woman to get water. She had to wait for more than 4 hours to fill a 20litres gallon and walk up to 4kms away to her home. however we managed to get a site near her village."

Lucas

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