Monthly Archives: June 2011

Probably the hardest part of this project is the fact that Marcie and I are installing a new pump every week.  That might sound pretty obvious as the project is titled 52 pumps in 52 weeks, but nevertheless I find … Continue reading →

The pump installation in Saare Samba Thika was different in many ways. The challenges in weather, the triumphs with the new members of our team, the demographic of well users and even the shape of the well were unlike what … Continue reading →

Location: Karang, Fatick, Senegal Community Description: In 2010, a group of about 20 people, mostly women, formed a gardening group in a small space just outside of Karang right on the Gambian border.   The  husband of one of the women … Continue reading →

Tobugol [tōb- Ū- gŭl]- to rain. Though tobugol’s meaning is translated to, to rain; to rain and tobugol are not synonyms. To rain is a complete understatement. It is more like Allah himself is directing hundreds of hands to pump … Continue reading →

Location: Samba Thika, Kolda, Senegal Community Description: Samba Thika is one in a cluster of 3 small villages. There are less than 100 people living here about 23k North of Kolda.  The terrain is hilly and serene though it lacks … Continue reading →

Murphy’s law stats: anything that can go wrong will go wrong.   This week I have been fully convinced that this is true.  Rest assured the pump is now working, but we said that we would talk frankly about our problems … Continue reading →

Location: Massarinko, Fatick, Senegal Community Description: Massarinko is a small agricultural village of 416 people located just north of the Gambia and 9k west of Karang.  This unique community lies at a crossroads of both country and ethnicity and is … Continue reading →

Early one Sunday morning the mason (Sow), the instructor (Barry) and myself (Marcie), packed all of our materials, put huge smiles on our faces and with the excitement of 40 small kids eating lollipops, we got in a rickety taxi … Continue reading →

Location: Saare Yero Diao, Kolda, Senegal Community Description: Yero Diao is a small village of 170 people located in the south of Senegal, West of Kolda.  It was founded 32 years ago by Mr. Yero Diao himself. Yero in Pulaar … Continue reading →

I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t more than a little nervous to get this first pump installed.  This would be the test: would the pump have a high enough output, would the villagers actually like it, … Continue reading →