BOREHOLE DRILLERS AT WORK

One big project the SATEMWA JOINT BODY embarked on was the drilling of a Bore hole at a point near the nearest village and our Magara compound.
From the word ‘go’ it was all excitement, surprises, happiness and sighs of relief especially from people of Magara Trading centre.
School children from our Satemwa Primary School could not help coming to see for themselves what mother luck had brought them. (Those in blue dresses and shirts)

Using FT Premium, we contracted bore drillers from town, those well experienced to drill a bore hole for us.
It was done at the cost of MK700, 000.00 ($5,000.00)

When it was completed, and the civil works done, people from the nearest houses could not help coming to have a feel of clean, fresh water from a bore hole – indeed a night mare.
As seen from the picture below, within a short period of time there was a queue building up of men and women wanting to draw some water.
Asked what difference the borehole will make in every day life, one lady from Magara Mrs. Monosile (in the photo) said ‘issues of diarrhoea, cholera and other health risks will be minimised as we will now no longer be taking water from unprotected wells as was the case in the past. However we hope other areas will be reached out as well so that the communities that surround Satemwa benefit from this facility’ she said.

Being the first project to be done using Fair Trade initiatives, there is quite a high expectation from people of other Divisions, and the surrounding villages that they would eventually also benefit from the same.
Potable water is a major problem in this part of the district such that the provision of bore hole water will indeed change people’s lives. Women will not have to travel longer distances in search of water.

One villager wanted to know whether this agreement is longer lasting so that other areas are reached out, same feelings coming out.
One JB member explained that for as long as FT standards are maintained, quality tea produced the market would be there.
‘Let us just hope buyers will keep on buying Satemwa Tea through Fair Trade, in order for us to get the premium.’ He said

http://www.satemwa.com/ - for more information

A QUEUE TO DRAW WATER FROM A FAIR TRADE - PREMIUM SUNK BOREHOLE