The unclouded sun beats down relentlessly on the fields of maize and soya. Temperatures rise. Happily we note the building cumulonimbus above the hills and grumbling of coming rain. It is out here that the full power of the sun is truly and terribly acknowledged. Before the rains arrived in November temperatures rose to 40 degrees, wilting the remaining blades of green. Now, in January, a clear sky will ensure that all work is done by midday and the afternoon is the time to find shade. It is clear why every religion surrounds the head of their gods with halos, a symbol of the Eye of Heaven.
The wonder of our modern technology now allows us to utilise this power through solar panels; a magical advance that my grandfather would have reveled in when establishing a farm in the remote districts of Zimbabwe. It allows independence from the ever unreliable ZESA (the corrupt state-owed power utility), and from generators greedily eating expensive fuel and belching smoke.
I'm meeting with our Contractor in Bulawayo to set up the next stage of the contract. This will provide for the installation of six solar panels, inverter, the appropriate pump and cabling, and a storage and distribution arrangement. Ricky, the manager of Forster Irrigation, is a thoughtful young man, with an earnest air. And each time I see him he has been thinking about another problem and has a suggested solution. He is someone who loves challenges ... and this project is full of them!
The first good news is that the cost of solar panels has dramatically declined over the year since we commenced with the project. We can now purchase a 500W for nearly $200, a fraction of a few years ago. This enables us to use larger pumps where possible, and explore other options for power storage.
The design we have adopted is a six metre high pole which mounts the panels and inverter out of reach from easy vandalism. This is the primary challenge of such installations in Zimbabwe and elsewhere. In addition the panels are welded into the frame, again further preventing theft.
The important part of this contract is the testing of the capacity of the borehole to ensure that the optimum pump is installed. Too small a pump and the full benefit of the borehole will not be achieved. Too large a pump and the pump will rapidly wear out with overpumping. And test pumping is not a process fully appreciated in the country. Typically boreholes are quickly flushed, and a vague estimate on yield is offered.
However. a major part of this Water Project by TZABA is also building capacity through the sharing of knowledge with the A-Team at ARDeZ. How to drill and Test a borehole is a valuable skill, and one which will benefit the wider community in the longer run. I hope to have an additional day or two before I leave in 2 weeks time with the team to have further sessions, and to review where the project stands and listen to them. Always valuable time.
The French philospher Michel Serres commented: If You sell me bread for a euro, at the end of the exchange I will have your bread, and you will have the euro. But this is a material transaction. Now imagine you have a sonnet or know Pythagoras theorem and I have nothing. If you teach me, at the end of the exchange I'll have learned the sonnet and theorem, but you'll still have them too. In this case, there's not only balance, but growth. First, we had commerce, second we shared knowledge. And while goods are consumed, culture (and knowledge) expands infinitely.
Of course, it's not me doing the teaching - it is far more of me learning from them! Every borehole is a learning opportunity, and how great it is to be a continual student.
Thanks for reading and for your support of TZABA and this work.
Sandy Elsworth 20 January 2025
Yorumlar