Access to Water for 500 Rural Indian Families

It is one year since we embarked on this adventure with Wello and our Indian partner.  We have seen encouragements - successfully completing the Global Giving Gateway Challenge in June 2014 and discouragements, when plans had to change for different reasons. As ever when working in the exciting world of international development across different cultures and continents we have learned to be patient.

Thanks to all of you who made donations at the end of 2014 and in January 2015. We reached our fundraising target of £2,700 including the matching funds. To date just over £6,000 has been donated to the project. Thanks to your generosity, this is enough to provide 150 families with Water Wheels, including delivery and introduction costs.

We are very nearly ready to roll with the WaterWheel pilot projects. 70 bright blue Wello WaterWheels, out of the first 100 ordered, will soon be on their way to rural Rajasthan. Right now we are just waiting for the delivery date to be confirmed so that all the other plans can roll in to action. A Community Worker has been appointed who will oversee the implementation of the project in Rajasthan.

The Community Health Workers in the area will organise a health camp to coincide with the launch of the pilot project. We have asked our Indian partner's health team to work on resources which will help users maximise the health and hygiene benefits of using a Wello WaterWheel. Our partner already has a clinic operating in the area with staff who have a good understanding of the local situation and wider health issues. We are working with Wello to make sure we have the resources in place to make a good baseline survey of the situation before the WaterWheels are introduced.

The plan is to work through the network of self-help groups in the area to promote the use of the WaterWheels. The WaterWheels will be made available through a scheme where an initial deposit is paid followed by monthly payments for up to 2 years overseen by the project worker. Our partner will also offer the opportunity for users to obtain a Tata Water Filter to compliment the use of the WaterWheel.

We are excited that the plans are taking shape and all we need now are some Wello WaterWheels in place to make it all happen.

Thank you for your support in joining with us on this journey, your help and involvement has made it possible for us to reach this point. Please continue to share about the project with your friends and colleagues. We are looking forward to all that will happen in 2015. There will be encouragements and disappointments but we want to use these as opportunities to learn so we can improve what we do in each place the WaterWheels are introduced.

 Images, Videos and Stories courtesy of Wello Water India Pvt. Ltd.

Links:

• Wello Video - Roll with us
• Spend a day in the life of Narmada - A resource from Wello.