Final evaluation : Machaze emergency water project

The project met its targets, but its impact is not easy to determine. A total of 51 new boreholes were constructed and 4 existing boreholes were rehabilitated, vs. an overall target of 50. Of the 55 boreholes, 27 were equipped with a functioning pump, including 25 hand pumps, at the time of the evaluation. Nonfunctioning pumps included 3 AFRIDEVs and 7 VOLANTAs. Repair and installation of VOLANTA pumps has been seriously delayed due to the need to order new unions from Europe; alternatives should be sought. At 53 water points, a collection to cover maintenance and repair was established; the average amount of collected money is MTS 509,804.00, which should be sufficient to cover repair and maintenance of an AFRIDEV pump for 1 year, though not enough to ensure sustainability of a VOLANTA pump, which is not a Village Level Operation and Maintenance (VLOM) pump. Training is needed to ensure proper management of the maintenance and repair fund, since a poorly functioning cost recovery system could prevent community acceptance of such systems in the future. Six of ten targeted mechanics received on-the-job training in installation and repair of AFRIDEV and VOLANTA pumps, but this training is not considered sufficient, particularly in regard to the VOLANTA pumps. There needs to be a clear structure at the district and administrative post level to coordinate the mechanics' activities. Forty-three groups of water point caretakers totaling 251 caretakers (21% of them women) are responsible for the 53 water points that are managed by the communities. These caretakers received training in hand pump operation, basic maintenance and repairs of hand pumps, and water use practices. However, only the caretakers trained in 1994 (responsible for 11 water points with AFRIDEV pumps) have sufficient experience to repair and maintain their pumps. Caretakers trained in 1995 have not yet had experience in repairing breakdowns independently; also, it is unlikely that they will be able to perform maintenance and major repairs on VOLANTA pumps. They have proved able, however, to maintain hygienic conditions around the water points and to educate water users with respect to safe collection and transport of water. Some 35% of water users (especially women) attended at least one talk in sanitary education by animators trained and equipped by the project. The impact of the project with respect to the pump use in northern Machaze is difficult to quantify because the available data show widely divergent population numbers in the area. It seems that the project resulted in a decrease in the ratio of users in northern Machaze to 1,778-3,317 beneficiaries per water point (30 water points) at the time of the evaluation. After the installation and repair of pumps on the remaining boreholes, pump use will drop to 1,046-1,951 beneficiaries per water point. However, in the southern part of the Machaze district the situation is still dramatic. At the time of the evaluation, pump use was 9,866-21,328 beneficiaries per water point (2 water points, but may decrease to 1,973-4,256 after the installation and repairs of pumps on the remaining boreholes in this area (resulting in 10 water points). For this reason, special attention should be given to this area in future activities. The criterion to have a reliable water source within 7 km for 90% of the beneficiaries was established when the population was concentrated in the central towns of localities and administrative posts. After the elections of October 1994, the population scattered over the area. Considering this new situation, the project mobilized the population to open roads, generally parallel to existing mined roads, to the new inhabited areas. As a result, 94 km of roads have been opened, specifically for borehole drilling. Despite these attempts, an estimated 16% of the population of northern Machaze will continue to live more than 7 km from a water point after the installation and repair of pumps on the remaining boreholes in this area. In southern Machaze a larger percentage of the population will not have a reliable water source within a 7 km distance. (Author abstract, modified)