another field visit

... so my prospects for doing more field visits were squashed a few weeks ago when a sub-contractor for one of our projects was car-jacked on the way to buy supplies. it was likely not a random mugging: she was leaving the project site w/ lots of cash and taking a route that not many cars go on. probably someone in the project site tipped off some thugs. corruption is lame. like i said, she wasn't staff of our organization and she wasn't even in one of our cars, but the word on the street was that it was associated with our organization. which makes it more dangerous if people assume we travel with lots of cash. so my plans to visit the other 2 districts we work in have been put on hold indefinitely! sad but understandable.

this past week I was able to go back up to Tiébissou district for a day visit. we visited 2 villages where rehabilitations having been taking place. here is the water committee of Lomokankro (all men, interestingly):
in this village, this committee already existed. they collect fees from the villagers who use the pumps, which go towards pump maintenance and repair. we trained them to do pump maintenance and also to spread basic hygiene messages to the rest of the village. the connection between clean water and health isn't lost on any of these guys. they know that those who get water from creeks usually get sick and they acknowledge that this does happen to those who can't pay. they mentioned they usually are willing to give a few free basins of water for these poorest households and the pumps aren't always monitored.. but it made me a little weary.

Lomokankro has 4 pumps, including one which is newly repaired and back in use:

we also put in a new well in this village, which will be hooked up to a water tower (château d'eau) to deliver running water to the health center:

so seems like we're doing a pretty good thing here. the biggest issue w/ pumps is that usually no one in the village can fix them when they break. if the village does have money to bring a professional in to fix it, there are often delays getting equipment and personnel out there. moreover, it takes a lot of time and energy to carry a household's worth of water from a well every day. just watching the young women who are usually charged with this task is tiring. so understandably, the people of Lomokangro are now asking for another water tower and an improved running water system to bring water to more areas of the village (which will also be easier to regulate, they noted).

on a side note, at the household water is often stored in these huge pots: