Marais
This pump is very far from the centre and is in the middle of the rice fields. The committee consists of 4 women and 2 men. The members of the committee explained that the benefits of this pump is that they can drink it directly, while the water they drank before gave them skin rashes and other health problems. Especially children used to have many stomach problems, but according to the committee members diarrhea has now disappeared. Now the children can directly drink from it safely. The average amount of users per day is 25 but in the dry season this increases. The disadvantage of the pump is that because it is so close to the rice fields it can taste a bit earthy.
The pump is used by households in the vicinity, and day labourers who work in the rice fields. The responsibility of the committee is to verify whether it functions and to keep it clean. Since the construction of the pump they collect 300 ariary per household per month to pay for the repairs. During the dry season life is really challenging and sometimes there is not even food, so people cannot afford to pay for the adidy. But at least they have potable water! It broke down twice since 2010, and both times Bertin has repaired it voluntarily. But the committee has given him a compensation of 3000 ariary.
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Everybody is allowed to use the pump even in case they cannot contribute. The pump is a source of fihavanana because it is part of our shared existence. That is why they see the adidy as a positive thing for the whole community. Some users even walk 2 kilometers to fetch water.
“We love our pump, and we would not say no to a second one!”
