Dabane-water workshops

Sand Abstraction technology

Dabane Trust has pioneered a simple, low cost water abstraction system that is suitable to use in arid and semi-arid areas. In these areas the rivers flow only for a few days in each rainy season. However many of them have a significant depth of sand which can retain water in sufficient quantities to provide year round water. Because the water is held in the sand it is naturally filtered and is thus clear, fresh that is clean enough for even safe domestic use. Over more than fifteen years Dabane Trust has developed simple hand pump systems to draw water from these ostensibly dry rivers, not only for household use but also in sufficient quantity for livestock water and for small-scale irrigation of basic vegetables.

Dabane and Sand-abstraction Trainning

Dabane Water Workshops is involved as a sand-abstraction technical partner in the Department for International Development’s (DFID) Protracted Relief Programme Phase II (PRP II). Dabane Water Workshops is thus tasked with providing training for all PRP II partners involved in sand-abstraction system development. Two partners were trained in first year of PRP II (July 2008 – June 2009), these being World Vision Zimbabwe (WVZ) and Action Contre la Faim (ACF). The remaining partners were then all pencilled for the second year with the theoretical training for the partners to be conducted all at once at the Dabane Water Workshops premises. The training was then conducted from the 24 – 28 July 2008 at the Dabane Water Workshops premises as planned.

Seven organisations were represented bringing the total number of trainees to 24. The organisations were; Concern worldwide, CADEC, Care International, Save the children UK, Action Contre firm and Zimbabwe Red cross services.

During the initial year 2006-2007 of this programme, staff members of four international NGOs were trained in sand-abstraction site selection, well point and hand pump installation. The organisations involved were Care International, World Vision Zimbabwe, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) who nominated the Organisation of Rural Association for Progress (ORAP) and CAFOD who nominated CADEC. Training was provided to teams of three people, with Care sending two teams. 15 field workers in total were trained.