Why technology alone is not enough – Special series from EWB

Since 2001, OSPE has been proud to support the important work of Engineers Without Borders (EWB). The Society is pleased to present this five-part series of stories highlighting the exceptional work of EWB volunteer Luke Brown, a newly minted engineering graduate hailing from London, Ontario, who is now working in Ghana, West Africa. This series is an exclusive to Society Notes.

Part 1:
I allow the measuring tape of my water level meter to roll out another five inches down into the well, waiting for the buzzing sound and flashing light that will indicate water has been hit. The probe at the end of the tape is already 31 feet down into a well that is only 40 feet deep, so I’m becoming anxious, hoping it will finally dip into water. It’s the height of the dry season so the water table is at its lowest, and the possibility that this well is dry is weighing on my mind.

Finally, at 35 feet, the indicator light and sound go off – the well contains some precious water. The village technician, who has been watching in anticipation, smiles in relief

I’m in the small community of Tandoo in northern Ghana, West Africa, having been sent from my home base of Tamale to evaluate the status of a hand-dug well. Its purpose, coupled with a hygiene promotion programme and the installation of latrines, is to provide a safe and readily available source of drinking water.

Too often people in rural communities in Ghana—almost always women and children—are forced to walk several kilometres in search of water from sources like ponds or dams. This water is often contaminated with pathogens or parasites like Guinea Worm. By providing a safe water point within the community, women can spend more time on other tasks—farming, caring for their children, small enterprise—and less time making an arduous trek in search of water of questionable quality. And by providing safe water and the knowledge to keep it free from contamination, people will spend less time seriously ill with diarrhoeal disease and parasitic infection.

I’ll take the data that I accumulate back to the project engineer in Tamale, where we’ll determine the optimal depth for direct-action hand-pump installation on this well.

The pumps are designed to be rugged and durable, designed to withstand the harsh conditions of village life in rural Africa. They’re also designed to be easily repaired, with the use of very few tools. A complicated hand-pump that breaks down soon after installation is a useless hand-pump, becoming a piece of refuse that is of no benefit to the community.

Key people in these communities are trained in the basic repair of these hand-pumps, so that a small problem like a decayed o-ring seal won’t mean the end of a project that had good intentions but poor sustainability.

In the end, these pumps and wells can be designed to be as durable as possible, but they’ll still need the care of the community members who own them. Our project engineers or technicians won’t have the resources to travel to each community to deal with repairs – that’s why community-level education is such a vital part of keeping this village healthy.

Stay tuned for next month’s update from Luke Brown in Ghana.

Engineers Without Borders (EWB) is a registered Canadian charity that helps people in developing communities gain access to basic engineering technologies that can reduce poverty, hunger and disease. Visit EWB’s website at www.ewb.ca to learn more.