Wells for Nicaragua
Friday Jun 25th
Well at Primary School
ADSIM Director, The Rev. Steadman Bent, will be the manager of the Clean Water Project in Nicaragua. Several young men were able to learn well drilling skills in 2008 when the project began. Chuck Nienow and Esther Tesh attended the ADSIM Board Meeting in 2009 where the resumption of well drilling was discussed. In a later meeting, Brother Bent agreed that the project’s original goals should continue. ADSIM will drill wells for individuals who pay full cost for a well. They will also drill village wells in communities where people lack the resources to pay for a well. There is a very real need for the Clean Water Project to subsidize wells in these rural areas. In addition, ADSIM will support efforts to promote feelings of ownership among villagers who receive a well. Expectations include having villagers pay for the gasoline, oil, and grease used for drilling the casing for the well and the cement for the concrete pad. In addition, villagers will be expected to bring water, sand, and gravel to the drilling site as needed. Paying part of the well costs, providing help to the drilling team, and learning to take care of a well should help to promote feelings of ownership among villagers and insure that their well continues to produce good water.
Brother Bent also shared the Moravian Primary School’s critical need for a well. Their well produced only a small amount of muddy water which was unfit for drinking. With no resources to pay for another well, buckets of water carried from the Moravian Church parsonage provided the only drinking water for the school’s 300 children. We assured him that the Clean Water Project would drill a new well at the school.
In March 2010, Chuck Nienow worked with 3 young men, Hedley Salmeron, John Downs, and Michael Hodgson, to drill a well 100 feet deep at the Primary School. Hedley and John already had well drilling skills gained from working with Brother Griggs in 2008. These men will be the team to drill other wells for ADSIM. Sister Doris Bush, Primary School Director, reports that the new well is full of crystal clear water even though this is the dry season and the water level in many wells is low.
Project funds remaining after the work in 2008 were used to pay for the well at the Primary School. Also, project funds will help to pay for the wells in Sisin and Sakalwas. However, if ADSIM is to continue to drill wells in rural communities, the Clean Water Project must raise additional money. The average cost of a well is $2200.
As in the past, contributions to this project should be sent to:
Mission Society,
500 S. Church St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101.
Please include the notation, ‘Clean Water Project,’ on the check.
Chuck Nienow and Esther Tesh are Clean Water Project Coordinators nienowtesh@aol.com