Welcome to the Mali Water Pump Project website!

The Mali Water Pump Project Phase II will bring a clean water source to the village of Gwelekoro, Mali. Gwelekoro donated 80 acres of land to build an orphanage, but construction cannot begin until there is safe drinking water in close proximity to the site. Currently, the area’s wells dry up in the summer, and the people in the village must walk long distances for water that is unsanitary, often resulting in health problems that all too often lead to death. Our pump will not only make the orphanage possible, but it will also benefit villages in the surrounding areas.

The Phase II team is composed of five Miami University seniors who are majoring in mechanical engineering. The team will be responsible for surveying and drilling in Mali and for raising the money required to complete the project. In addition to fundraising, surveying, and drilling, the team will design, fabricate, and install a human-powered water pump.

We are grateful to the Howe Writing Center for sponsoring our blog.

5/21/2009 - Gwelekoro

Thu, 05/21/2009 - 11:15am — carnenr

Today we split up into two groups. Ben, Dr. Carter, Sam and I went to our usual village, Gwelekoro, while Asha and Jason went to a school to donate supplies and the village another village which Pete and Faye (who run the mission house) help.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Wed, 05/20/2009 - 4:39pm — carnenr

Today, we woke up to the coolest temperature of our trip (90F) and rode to the village. When we got there, we discovered that the surveyors had marked a spot for drilling. While this seemed like great news, the location of the water presented two obstacles: 1.) the land belonged to a village family, not us, and 2.) the spot was 1 ft. from a huge "she" tree. The first obstacle was quickly overcome when Jean-Pierre, our guide, negotiated with the patriarch of the family to get the land turned over to the project. The villagers volunteered to cut the tree down today for a small fee.

5/19/2009 - Mali, Africa

Tue, 05/19/2009 - 2:06pm — brucebh

Today was our 2nd hot day at the village where we intended on the surveying being completed. On the way to the village, Anatole bought us some local food. It was a dense cake in the shape of a muffin. The surveyors followed us to the village, but when we got there some problems arose. The villagers who had donated the land for the well said that some of the land they had donated was to be used for crops next year.

5/17/2009 and 5/18/2009 - Mali, Africa

Mon, 05/18/2009 - 10:30am — carnenr
The Children of Gwelekoro, Mali with the Four Team Members (L-R: Ben Bruce, Sam Papa, Natalie Carne, and Jason Hardesty)

After resting up from the long trip, we began meeting with everyone working with us on this project on Sunday. We met with the surveying and drilling companies to discuss the cost and timing of each as well as the pump and linkage system installation. Additionally, we took a walk around the areas surrounding the mission house. It was interesting to see people on the streets, shops and stores opening selling anything from clothes to cellphone minutes, and wave to the neighborhood kids.

5/16/2009 - Paris

Mon, 05/18/2009 - 10:12am — carnenr

On our way to Bamako, the capital of Mali, we had a layover in Paris which we tried to take full advantage of! We took the train into the city, strolled by The Louvre (picture) then ventured over the Seine River where we stopped for lunch. We caught a quick glimpse of the Eifel Tower but did not have a chance to go. Then it was back to the airport for our six hour flight into Bamako!

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