Hello Ken,

Thanks for the information on the Life Straw. The new bucket/ gravity fed filter system looks particularly good as infants can benefit (as apposed to the original life straw where you had to suck water through). I will look into this.

Shaun

UPDATE:

The only positive replies I have had so far have been from CAWST and Africare. Both have expresssed an interest in technical support. I am awating to hear from the Africare office in Lusaka to see if we can link our effort with their expertise.
For contacts I started with the spreadsheet in the Nabuur resources section under water and sanitation (http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=p3Pjtf3pl5eSwC9M6ss7TSg) and added a few more. If you have any other contacts or sources which may be able to help us please let me know.

Thanks Shaun.

Hi Everyone,

I have been in contact with an engineer at Water Aid who in answer to my questions offered the following advice:

In view of the problems that you report about the electric pumps, handpumps might be a better and more reliable alternative. It depends on the resources and funding that are available to repair the existing pumps, but I suspect that these are limited and hand pumps are usually within the capacity of the local community to repair and maintain. I’m not an expert on the AWASSA pump, but looking at the details on the internet it seems worth considering. Our ‘Sustainable technologies’ notes give some other alternatives that WaterAid utilise, such as the India, Nira, Tara and Afridev pumps. It depends what is available in your area.

There is no reason why some low level water storage tanks cannot be filled from a hand-pump, but this could take some time (and effort) depending on the size of the tank and the depth of the well. An alternative to a conventional handpump might be a Playpump, which WaterAid do not use, but which could be suitable for use in a school or orphanage where children are playing regularly. They are produced by a South African company and have attracted support from influential American donors such as Laura Bush. Have a look at their website, link:- http://www.playpumps.org/site/c.hqLNIXOEKrF/b.2559311/k.BCFF/Home.htm and see what you think, but they are costly both to build and maintain, hence WaterAid’s reluctance to use them.

I would be interested if anyone has experience or knows availability of the Awassa hand pump. It has obvious advantages if the claims are true. The playpump may be a consideration for the future.
Shaun

Hello shaun & all,
Thanks for the information about possible water solutions.The play pumps may be a future source and need effort.But hand pumps are more prefereable here than play pumps.Hope someone knowledgeable is here to shade more picture of its characteristics.

SCHOOL UPDATE.

The chibolya school will be closing for third term on 1st Aug,2008 and open on the 1st of Sept,2008.Currently, children are doing end of term tests to prpare them for next term .The school management and CEHO staff are preparing to present soft gifts to children with high passing marks just to encourage them for better perfomance.Thank you for your support.The school is doing well and the number is growing.We hope to build our own school in future.

WATER

The water situation is still not good at all.I have been receiving call from the local leaders in chibolya trying to ask if Ceho could help in any way possible.I did highlight to them we are busy looking into ways to end the problem and assured of finding a solution soon to their cries for good water.
Plse any clarification needed is welcome.
regds,
innocent

Hello all,
I have been away for four days .I have assigned to go the exbihition show in Lusaka from the 30-5th of Aug,2008.Our company was taking part in local coffee promotion for 2008 ,which went successfully.We had a very wonderful experience there.Thank you all for your contributions here.Iam back now and we can talk.The chibolya school is now closed and will open SEPT,2008.
regds,
innocent.

Hello all,
Plse iam sad to inform you all that we recently lost our beloved president and will be put to rest on 3rd Sept,2008.

WATER
The water situation in chibolya is sttill very bad and people are subject to dirty drinking water which have resulted in deseases outbreaks in the area and the nearby places.I have been to the site to see how the situation is prevailing over.Indeed the dirty for our children is the crisis there!!.However,they have been aplying to governement for some help which has really taken them time after the assurance.Indeed our support is needed at the neediest time for our people and children.They appearled to the neighbours to jointly uphold their fate and consider their request soon.Our small support will lead to abig support in future.

SCHOOL

The school project is going on well and the school has been extended to 8th of sept,2008 following the death and burial of our president sechuled for 3rd sept.The number of children has increased which demanded for permanent structure to be built.However, the need books,pencils,cryons and many other school materials needed to make education easy .Our voluntary teachers need some help as allowances to keep them going with life and we are happy and luck that the building is offered free of charge by the local residence committee.CEHO has so far 50 small execise books for the children as part of our education support to the school.We are also planning to buy pencils and other materials to help through by ceho managemnet staff since no funding has been received.Therefore, we need your dire support to enable privide the needed support to our children.The community cannot manage to look into these issues alone therefore we ask your involvement as neighbours to jointly uphold their fate.The school has to be built in time.
The management of CEHO has resolved that educational and health projects should go hand in hand so as to meet all the needed goal.
We hope you will all get involved in this arena to support our children once the school open,and as we wait for replies from donors where we sent applications.We can them join in looking for funding for our disired projects especially the school supplies for the school and children.
we hope to hear from you all and drop us a pence of your sugestions and will appreciate and know you are ther for us too.We are working to launch our sponsorship project for our children at nabuur .Be apdated overtime.Thanks.
REGDS,
INNOCENT.

Dear All

Here is a link which may be of help-

http://www.globalgateway.org/

Registering the school in above website will help to find partners schools all over the wold and work together

Best regards,
Sushmita,
India

Hello sushmitter,
Thank you for the link and will follow it up soon ,but Heather did mention will also follow it up to register our school.Great !!! it is indeed a very good site which may really help.Heather,shaun and others plse let try and see what gonna come up.
thanks,

innocent.

Dear All

Hope your school is "registered".To register in the mentioned website,it is very necessary.

There is also one more facility!!! of getting registered in above website,as there are chances!!! of applying!!! for funds!!!,"jointly"(if partnership is developed with other global schools) to the sponsors!!! of that charity!!!

Almighty bless.

Take care,
Best regards,
Sushmita,
India

hi Lahili s.
Plse thank you to hear from your lovely comments here.I should say that this chance of registering our school with the said site is awesome..Heather how far have you gone with this process plse.Plse give us an insight of your suggestion so we follow it well.Thanks and keep up the good work.Your contribution is vital and makes us know you are there.
regds,
innocent.

Hi Innocent,

I'll call Global tomorrow. It looks like they need more verification.

I'm waiting to hear back from Lucie (Rotary) to see if we can get a set time for a presentation that will work for you.

Always will be there, Innocent! :)

If you need help updating the CEHO website, please let me know. Roger has been busy and has provided instructions.
Heather

Hi all,
Firstly,i want to thank everyone here for the support,contribution rendered to our projects in the year ended.We have achieved many tangible results on our programmes.

Please i just want share my experiences in chibolya after my tour of visit the new school site .I was overjoyed to the massive support form both the local leadership(RDC)and people of chibolya as whole.The site is very conduce to learning and it has many rooms despite its cost.The facility is very good and it is offered for sale at 90,000,000(15,517.24USD)It was suggested that if we can buy the whole plot as our centre would agood road all development.This will reduce our construction budget to a minimal amount and then work on renovations.This will help minimising costs on school teachers and rental fees.However,the rental charge per month is at 60,000zmk(12USD)which has become too much to meet on our own.

Therefore,we are appealing to all well-wishers to support us meet this cost though some donations have been attained already.We can all cycle in this bought to fundraise for this cause so we centrally located and established right there in chibolya village.I know under God 's might power this will be attained over.

Please we would love to hear from your comments regarding the proposed purchase of the building so we have our own plot than renting.This was a suggestion brought up by our executive meeting yesturday after the meeting Chibolya Leadership Committees.We will post photos of the intended building so to have a view of the place.There is enouph other room for further structures of our interest once bought.
I had a busy time chairing all these meetings and the results are okay at the moment.Plse also need more volunteers or neighbours to join us to achieve the goal.