More information available at the Mali Google Site

Location:
    Mandoli, Mali

Project Manager:

Assistant Project Manager:


Professional Mentors:
  Ryan Sinclair
  Catlow Shipek

Phase:
    Post-assessment / Design

Project Description:

Access to water is limited for the people of Mandoli. The women and children walk up to two kilometers to get water for daily use. Closer water sources, such as a small spring at the base of the cliff, require a dangerous decent down the cliff face and do not last all year. The sandstone bedrock where the village sits makes it very difficult and expensive to dig wells and the low water table, at some places up to 85 meters, dashes any hopes of finding water, even if the means were available. An effort to implement a large diameter well was abandoned due to the inability to hand dig the well through the bedrock. The now broken pump that was installed sits at 85 meters deep. The people of Mandoli rely on subsistence agriculture and often use every bit of arable land to plant food crops and gardens, which could be expanded if more water was available. This area of Mali has a rainy season sufficient for the community’s needs if 90% of the water was not lost due to evapo-transpiration and runoff. Rainwater catchment would increase the amount of water in the village and ease the burdens of carrying water long distances or along dangerous routes.

The community currently harvests rainwater by digging pits into the ground. The people of Mandoli do very little clean their water not only because the supply is so limited, but because they lack the education to understand the importance of treating their water. Everyone in the community shares the sentiment that there is not enough water to meet their needs, and they believe that a large diameter well because they like to be able to see the water. Unfortunately, in terms of quality this type of water source is easily contaminated by debris, and the thin layer of soil followed by a large layer of bedrock would make a well difficult and expensive to construct.

There is a lot of room for improvement in Mandoli. The community needs cleaner water for drinking and more of it. They also need a greater supply of water, although not necessarily as clean for farming and the animals they raise. Some common illnesses such as malaria, yeast infections, STDs, malnutrition, respiratory illnesses, diarrhea, and hygiene need to be addressed. The lack of education in the community is also a concern, but that will have to be a secondary concern until life in the community can improve. After the community has the ability to sustain itself, the people may even be able to bring some income into the community and become a model for the other communities in the region.