Natural Well Development Project - Swaziland
Swaziland is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered on the north, south, and west by South Africa, and on the east by Mozambique. It is a small country, no more than 120 miles from north to south and 80 miles from east to west. The western half is mountainous, and the eastern border with Mozambique and South Africa is dominated by the escarpment of the Lebombo Mountains.
The climate is temperate in the west, but reaches 104 degrees in summer in the lowveld. The rainy season is during the summer, when rainfall may reach 78 inches in the west.
This project is to be done in a community located in the rural, dry lowveld. An extremely high unemployment rate, the highest global rate of HIV/AIDS occurrence, and a recent drought have hindered all development efforts while making progress all the more necessary.
One of the most pressing issues facing community members is lack of clean and reliable sources of water for drinking and sustaining small gardens (often the only reliable source of food for rural Swazi families). Current water supplies are prohibitively expensive to develop and maintain and people are continually dependent upon rain fall.
This project is to convert a local naturally-occurring well into a functioning tap. It is being carried out under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Serena Parcell in collaboration with the community. The project was developed with the help of a local rural water expert, after a series of community-wide meetings.
The community is contributing all of the labor and some of the funds for materials. Total community participation is 33% of the project cost.
This project will provide approximately 1,000 community members, located within a one-mile range of the well, with access to clean water. Thus it will have a tremendously high impact for the money spent.
This project has been funded, through the generosity of Six Senses Resorts & Spas as a major contributor, as a part of their Clean Water Projects initiative.
Any additional donations using the Donate button below will be used to fund other projects by this PCV and/or other PCVs in this country.
This project has been completed. To read about the concusion, CLICK HERE.
Conclusion of Natural Well Development Project - Swaziland
This project has been completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Serena Parcell. To read about the beginning of this project, CLICK HERE.The project resulted in the conversion of a local naturally-occurring well into a functioning tap.
Serena reports:
On Wednesday, the 19th of May, we officially opened the completed water project in Phonjwane. The water committee took me and some community members on a tour and ended with a ceremony.
The taps will be opened for public use as soon as the site is visited and blessed by the Chief next week. My time here in Swaziland is winding down (this is my last week in Phonjwane) so I won't be there for the ceremony but I know it will go as well as the rest of the project did.
The community took complete control of the project and work schedule as soon as the money came in and has been hardworking and co-operative throughout.
The following pictures amply demonstrate the success of the project.
--- 1. The gates of the newly-installed fence surrounding the entire project. Because of the presence of water underground, goats and cows (which are set free to roam during the day) are attracted to the delicious grass and trample everything in their way. The fence ended up being a lot of money and a lot of work to install. In the future it will be improved with sticker bushes and branches from the area.
--- 2. Babe Shongwe (the Vice Chairman of the Committee) showing where the main pump and filtering system is. The area is enclosed to prevent any goats who are smart enough to make it past the first barrier from walking on top of it.
--- 3. The quality of the water from the taps is a huge improvement. The minerals present in the groundwater are filtered out, making the water clean enough to drink.
--- 4. The community's water source BEFORE.
--- 5. And AFTER.
--- 6. Community members around one of the taps. Babe Gamedze on the far right (wearing the skin) is the committee Chairman. Babe Mthethwa next to him is the Secretary.
Serena extends the thanks of the committee and community members of Phonjwane to those who made the project possible.
We again wish to thank Six Senses Resorts & Spas for providing funding for this project.