The GLOVE Project

GLOVE has now completed four large Solar Powered Safe Drinking Water Systems in rural villages on the North Bank of the River Gambia.

Thanks go to our partners in development, Engineers Without Borders USA (Baton Rouge Chapter) and more recently, SEN DE GEL.

How they work

Solar Powered Safe Drinking Water Systems use pumps powered by solar energy to raise water from boreholes. Boreholes are dug, solar pumps are put into the boreholes and the solar panels power the pumps which in turn supply the water to the taps.

These projects don't put taps into homes but instead, increase the number of safe drinking water collection points around the village. These taps help to reduce the competition between humans and animals for the scarce water as well as cutting the amount of time villagers spend queuing to collect essential water. The collection of water is a sociable gathering time for the woman of the village and communal taps preserve this tradition.

To ensure ongoing sustainability each village has opened a bank account into which they pay a monthly contribution for future repairs and maintenance.

Two of the Villages have a combined system which allows for both drinking water and a Community Garden.

 

 

More are needed

Providing safe drinking water for villagers is one of GLOVE's highest priorities. Water is life! Safe drinking water is so important for healthy life.

GLOVE aims to have a maximum of 100 people to every stand tap. This may seem a lot but before we put these solar systems in place there were on average 600 people to ONE collection point. This is a great improvement.

Our amazing American Engineers (EWB USA) continue to offer essential technical support for all our solar systems. They also continue to implement further systems across the rural villages on the North Bank.

So many Villages in Gambia are in urgent need of these systems. The cost is between £15,000 and £25,000 depending on the size of the village and the number of stand taps needed.