We are back and the project continues!
Now that a project team from Technology without Borders has been in Eritrea in September 2015, we want to share the news with you:
As announced, we repaired a defective waterhole in the valley. The drill pipe inside this borehole had been broken and its lower portion was blocked. Thanks to the replaced drill pipe, the waterhole operates properly again and supplies the people daily with water. The groundwater is only a limited resource, which is why this waterhole won't be the solution to the water problem in the Begu Valley; but it is at least a small contribution. In addition to that, regular measurements of the groundwater level provide us now with more information about the nature of the valley's subsoil that will help in the planning of future projects. Eritrean engineers carry out this measurements on-site.
Eritrean craftsmen reparing the damaged borehole in Begu Valley.
Now about the actual project: The construction planning for the dam has been developed further significantly during the time our team was there. The rough planning had already taken place during last year's expedition, so that we could concentrate on missing details for the construction work. Particularly as construction work in a rough terrain isn't as easy as we German engineers would expect. Fortunately, our Eritrean engineers have ample experience in this area, which shows that international cooperation pays off. It is remarkable how important personal contact is for some things. Despite e-mail communication and all possibilities offered by the internet these days, a face-to-face conversation on-site still provides the best and fastest communication!
Our team also had an opportunity to see how urgent and important it is to realize the project. Although the valley seemed much greener now after the rainy season than last year after the dry season, this year's average rainfall was only about half the usual annual rainfall, definitely far too little. Some of the wells were already dry even though the rainy season had just finished. It seems that the worldwide extreme weather events have also arrived in Eritrea and show themselves with lack of rain and the resulting sinking groundwater level. This is a clear signal that something needs to be done here in order to support the inhabitants of the Begu Valley in their adaptation to the new climate conditions. Dams in particular offer the possibility to be independent from the limited and falling groundwater levels and provide additional water.
Together with the Eritrean engineers we have now set the begin of construction for the dam in April 2016 and the preparations are in full swing. The last big challenge is now the final financing of the project. We have submitted some very thorough and labour intensive applications to several important foundations, with whose support most of the total project costs shall be funded. This would be another milestone for the project and would move us forward considerably.
But there remains still a percentage that we have to finance ourselves, which is why we are happy about every financial support we receive from you! We have already achieved a lot thanks to your support and we hope to complete this last phase of the project successfully together with you. Therefore stay with us and please share the project!
The project team in Eritrea.