Project in danger - Once again the cistern project has stalled.

As we learned from our partner in Daloa, his family and neighbors are now making life difficult for him.

After intensive email traffic and several audio chats, we were able to persuade our partner to explain the real causes of the delays to us.

From the beginning, the family had followed the project with great skepticism, even though every family member had signed the project contract. The longer the project lasted, more and more reservations and opposition came to the skepticism. The neighbors have now also distanced themselves and denigrate our partner's work. They accuse him of getting rich by selling photos of them to whites.

Envy and resentment from the "Extended Family" and neighbors weigh heavily on him.

Unfortunately, the real goal is:

To be able to provide precious clean drinking water (also and especially during the dry season) for the family and neighbors is out of focus.   

Our decision to consider the project on the family's premises as a test now turns out to be completely correct. We would never have considered the difficulties as they are now showing up. Right from the start, the family and the neighbors preferred to have a well drilled. But we decided on a cistern because we considered it sustainable. To drill a well in order to get to the already little groundwater that is contaminated with faecal bacteria from the surrounding septic tanks, we refused from the beginning against the resistance of the locals. Climate change and the consequences for groundwater have not yet been addressed. Many of the existing wells no longer have any water in the dry season.

The cistern is almost finished. What is still missing is the error-free operation of the cistern pump and the connection of the water filter.

The final work, such as the creation of a uniform level of the property, the construction of a border around the property, the demolition of the old residential hut, and the relocation of the overflow from the cistern to the drain of the shower are still to be done. This will happen in the next few days.

The water is first tested by a state laboratory before the cistern can go into operation.

This big project, without the help of the members of the Club Daloa, was a challenge for our partner and therefore it is understandable that he needs a break.

During this time he will discuss the future of his club with us.

We will closely monitor further developments and report on them.