Kenya 2010

Hello, Friends!

It is January 1st, 2010, and what better time to begin thinking about our next trip to Kenya? Chris and I would like to go in the Fall of 2010 to improve a second groundwater well in the Migori area.

Chris deepened, sanitized, and improved the first hand-dug groundwater well in this area in December 2008. I would like to share a few photos from this.

The first photo shows the hand-dug well as it was used before improvement (Phase 1). The problems with these types of wells include but are not limited to someone or something falling into the well and stormwater runoff running sediment and surface contamination such as nearby livestock manure into the well and contaminating it.

The second photo shows Chris measuring the total depth of the well (without falling in!). 

The third photo shows the well and its construction after deepening, installing the concrete pipe with perforated area, gravel pack installation, bailing, and"shocking" with chlorine. The gravel-pack serves as a natural filter removing sediment as groundwater passes into the well. The fourth photo shows the improved and completed well.

We plan to implement this same process to a second hand-dug well shown in the last photo. These wells both supply groundwater to meet the daily water needs of approximately 60 people each. Chris tests the pH and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) of the groundwater. TDS ranges between 400 and 800 ppm and the pH is approximately 7.4 - 7.8.

Thank you for your interest in our project goals and for your support, whether it be an encouraging phone call, a pat on the back, an invitation for Chris to share his experiences, or monetary assistance. We will make the most of it by sharing our gifts with the Kenyan people.

Sincerely,

Monique Gaido