Happy Days

Most times we put in a pump, we just arrive and train the women in all they need to know about maintaining the pump. No big song and dance although if a crowd arrives we have the prayer and celebration. We know the women celebrate when we're gone,and so they might, because such a burden is taken away.
We are working with a group of villages just now, who have 34 wells and pumps and when we began working with them only one worked.
They had all the celebrations anyone might need and sometimes the celebrations lasted longer than the pumps.
Good meaning donors, without a maintenance plan are almost useless in the water business!. Our pump lasts and lasts. It is repairable by village women, with three nails, in a few minutes. If they cant fix it (which rarely happens), we arrive with a matching pump, screw out the old and in the new and we're gone in five minutes. No song and dance and the water flows again.
Pumps need to work 24/7/365 and ours generally do.
Maybe that was a rant, but I do get angry when people fail to repair the pumps they install. We are delighted to be able topick up the pieces though.