A former employee of “Windesheim” university of Zwolle has contributed after his retirement in 2010 and 2011 with a small enthusiastic foundation (http://www.ayuda-and-todas-partes.nl) in North Kenya.
This foundation want to realize “primary schools” in the bush in Samburu communities in Laisamis district in northern Kenya. In this area mainly live nomads who formerly roamed with their cattle (Goats, camels and cows), but nowadays settle around in small villages.
Ayuda has set itself the target with volunteers from the Netherlands along with a local contractor to build three primary schools in a region west of Laisamis. For this Ayuda collect the necessary funds and go with about 10 volunteers three weeks at their own expense along to help with the construction of the school also give some entertainment to the children of the schools.
Students of Windesheim does in the past for Ayuda some projects like the development of a hollow masonry units which can be made by the local people. (http://www.ayuda-en-todas-partes.nl/index.php/archief/11-nieuws/7-studenten-hogeschool-windesheim-zwolle-actief-voor-ayuda)
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A other project was a study of an affordable water drilling system.
After 2 times to have been along with this foundation, a new challenge was to the former employee: to start projects with students of Windesheim at the request of the people in this region of Kenya.
Because of the contacts with local representatives in this region and the high demand for better quality of life was chosen to perform here. It is also expected that the developments in this part of Kenya provide many opportunities for our students to gain experience through internships and graduation projects and international experience.
In recent years, in the north many minerals and oils is found and there is also a Dutch initiative to make a large wind farm that will provide 20% of the electricity needs of Kenya. (http://ltwp.co.ke)
The biggest need in this region is: DRINKING WATER.
Nowadays the drinking water is given by open wells and by deep wells in some communities.
The problem in this region is that open wells are easily polluted and dry when there is a long period of no rain.
Deep wells in this region are often salty and often the pump system is broken (repairing is expensive and it takes months before someone do the repairing)
This need makes the establishment of WellWishes, a non profit foundation slightly connected with the university, in 2013.
Wellwishes Water Project Keniasee this on a bigger map
Spots of the potential wells
Our first project was the buying of a drill which can be handled by the local people.
Our choice was fallen on the FLOFLO, also a project of a dutch foundation. (for more details see the drill menu)
In the summer of 2013 we brought this drill to Kenya and formed a team.
Three students of the university learned this team how they can make boreholes with this drill.
We were not lucky because there was a lot of heavy rocks at our first drilling spot. Because of our lack of time we did not finish this first borehole.
In 2014 we tried to make a borehole on another spot and now we had a big success: A borehole of 10 meters deep with 3 meters of fresh water in 7 days!
With 3 days additional work we had our first well ready to hand it over to the community. This well is safe, not salty and we expect that also when there is no rain for years this well will provide water. For more details of this well see the pictures at the media menu
Our next project is a safe well in a nearby community where only are open wells. Also our team will make a lot of shallow wells for interested organizations so if you need one? just ask us.
