The Village of Dissan

These are photographs from Day two on location at the village where the borehole will be drilled. Sometimes plans change. Yesterday the drilling crew showed up and almost immediately left the sight to go retrieve material and bring a second truck. That second truck was said to have broken down. So Day 3 and we showed up today to no drill crew. The first truck still sits there.

Alternate plan - Mama Tapo, our main Lion contact with the Sokala Lions Club in Bamako, called an audible and fired the first crew. He arranged for a second crew to arrive on Sunday. We will travel with them on Sunday. they will have all the materials and have projected water on Monday. Pump company will arrive on Tuesday and Cement. If all goes as planned that's plan "B".

Dissan village children with their teacher. Behind them about 100 meters is where the borehole will be located.

This is one of the ways the villagers get water from the old well. A donkey driven pulley Operated by Amadou and on the donkey is Alou.

13 year-old Aminata fills her water barrel from the old well.

This is a good look into the barrel. This is water for the families cooking, bathing, feeding the animals.

 

Amanita, Fatoumata, and Baby Mohammed take the water home.

Additional photos can also be found on Flickr

Update on Monday, April 18, 2011 at 6:41PM by Dan Morris

Day 6 

Today what an excellent day to report back to everyone. The second drill team finally made it to the village.  We all remained optimistic about the rig showing up.  I just sort of acted like it wasn't going to be there so I was pleasantly surprised to see the truck waiting for us on the main road near the village dirt road entrance.

This drill crew meant business and hit the dirt almost immediately.   My Leo Pal Oumar and I have been at the village everyday so far but Day 4.  I was carrying the Geographic Survey - so as soon as the Engineer got a look at the lay of the land, the villagers pointed to the survey stakes and the truck moved in and set up.

They drilled.  And drilled.

In the extreme heat the crew took breaks resting under a near by tree.  I've learned to seek shade and cover my bald spot and neck or suffer.  Heat exhaustion is no fun.  I think I probably over did it on Day 2 or Day 3.  I really admired the hard work of this crew in this heat.  I'm pretty sure it was  over 110 degrees today.  And don't let anyone fool you - dry heat or not it's hot.

After they drilled the preliminary hole they started to hand dig the foundation for the hand pump station.  We left them as the hole was about three or four feet deep.  The 2nd truck went to town and we saw it getting water for the cement as we left.  In this heat I hope that they poured the cement today and it will be dry enough to have water tomorrow.  Otherwise - I make another trip on Wednesday the day I leave for home.

 

Here is a picture from today.  All others can be seen at our flicker page http://www.flickr.com/photos/windycitylions

Thanks-

Lion Dan