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Madagascar: Ambalona

Community Need

The village of Ambalona, Madagascar (est. pop. 1,500) gets all of its water directly from a river downstream of several other villages or springs that run through rice fields. The poor quality of the water has created many health issues including dysentery and diarrhea which have lead to dehydration and even death, especially in children. The women and children of Ambalona spend at least three hours each day collecting water in plastic buckets taking time from other responsibilities and, most importantly, school.

Project Team Goals

The primary goal of the project is to provide a safe and sustainable source of clean drinking water for the village of Ambalona. Many possible sources are being considered, including surface water, groundwater, and rainwater collection systems. The project team hopes that a water supply system for the village will create improvements throughout many additional aspects of the people’s lives. Without the need to collect water from the river, children will have the opportunity to receive more education which will provide many additional opportunities for them and the community as a whole. Improvement in health resulting from better access to clean water is a benefit for quality of life for members of the village. Additional time adults (and particularly women) have historically spent gathering water can be spent on other productive tasks, which will improve the economic success of families and the community.

Milestones

An assessment trip to Ambalona was conducted in May of 2008. Distances to possible sources of water as well as data relating to the quality of water were collected. Knowledge was gathered about cultural beliefs that may have an impact on the success of any engineered system. Information was gathered from community members about their preferences and desires for a water supply system. During the trip, initial contacts were made with village leaders as well as contractors that could be hired for future work. One of the most important goals of the assessment trip was to begin forging a relationship with the community to ultimately ensure local ownership of any implemented system.

After evaluating water supply options developed from the 2008 trip, the project team completed an assessment/implementation trip in December of 2009. Two potential water supply wells were drilled by a local contractor with assistance from the villagers. These wells were tested for water quality as well as potential sustainable yield. While one well requires rehabilitation due to bacterial contamination, the other well will be put to use in 2010. This first well will likely not supply enough water for the entire village, but will be used in a pilot program to assess the functionality of wells and how the village manages and uses the well.
In the future, the project team plans to install additional wells, likely between 5 and 10, to provide the entire village with drinking water. The team must design the wells, prepare the village for additional infrastructure, and raise money to install the wells.

How to Help

What can $100 buy for your team?
A donation of $100 can pay for a site visit from our in-country partner, Hope for Madagascar (www.hopeformadagascar.com), which will provide the project team with vital information regarding the village’s use of the wells.

Volunteer Skills Needed

A wide range of skills are useful to the project. Communication, marketing, and financial skills are useful for fundraising and budget management. Engineering, hydrology, geology, geochemistry, and water treatment are all fields of expertise directly relevant to the project. Additionally, volunteers with French or Malagasy language skills are very helpful to the project. Anyone with a desire to help is always welcome to join our project.

Additional Project Information

For more detailed information regarding this project please visit our wiki.