October 4th, 2011 on board Eagle Air flight Yei, Republic of South Sudan to Entebbe, Uganda via Arua, Uganda. Looking over the jagged mountains that our water bottling project is named for.
This visit was short but very productive. Water is Basic is maturing and morphing even as the country changes. I am very proud of that. WiB was set up to serve and help the local leadership, it’s their vision their problem their solution…their new nation.
Accomplished on this trip:
1. Agreement on two year going forward plan where we hope to create and provide 100% of WiB funding from WITHIN South Sudan.
2. Secured Lujulo Springs supplies from Kampala
3. Secured investment funding in Lujulo
4. Are one step away from hiring the factory and marketing director
5. Plan for pilot cell charging business are in place.
6. Meetings will take place tomorrow with Rural Water Commission on establishing program to require financial participation of communities in establishing wells for other communities.
7. Established a base line of $500/ community per well each year.
The establishment of WiB as a local run project with local control was “out of the box” to begin with. They have completed 350 wells in three years…unheard of success!
Now we are looking to do the same as we establish businesses that build the nation, provide employment, and fund WiB…unheard of ideas in this “4th world” nation.
Here is why we are doing this.
Two days ago we visited the people of ITC well completed on 8/21/2009 ( go to waterisbasic.org for photos). As the women and children gathered we began to hear about how they used to walk 2 kilometers to gather water from a small pond. So low was the water in the dry season that they would wait hours to fill a Jerry can. The process of gathering the equivalent of one flush of an American toilet…was an all day adventure! They did this every day, not so they could flush but so they could survive another day!
This is why you should be very proud of your investments in WiB.
Even as we left the compound to head to the airport, a crew was heading out to drill another well. The other rig is waiting up north for the rainy season to end. We are partnering with A Drop In The Bucket to drill 20 wells in Northern Bahl el Gazal.
We are looking for 250 new partners to commit to $1,000/ year until we are internally self funded. Would you help us find those 250 new partners? Would you seriously consider being one yourself?
That’s less than $20.00 per week.
That’s $10.00 per well.
That’s a small investment with a return you won’t find anywhere else.
Thank you for staying in the game with us and the wonderful people of Southern Sudan
