WES-NTT NEWS - First Edition, August 2008 part 2Where there’s a will, there’s a water pipeline Kalabahi. Bahasa Indonesia speakers might picture Mawar village as a place where many flowers bloom, as mawar means rose in Indonesian. But in fact, the name comes from the local language, in which “Ma” means house while “war” means rock. “So, Mawar means houses on rocks,” said Abdurahman Sang, head of Alor Planning Agency’s social and culture unit and UNICEF’s local operations chief, “The village name gives an idea of how rough the geographical condition is here.” Mawar is also very remote – it takes about one and a half hours to reach it by boat if the sea currents between Alor and Pantar are weak, but up to three hours if conditions are bad. But challenges in accessing the village have not deterred the people who live there from building a pipeline to supply clean water. Led by village head Yusak Olang, residents have been working together since July to construct hundreds of meters of piping, often carrying supplies by hand over many kilometers of harsh terrain. “Even our residents who work and live in Kalabahi come to give a hand,” Yusak said, “Mostly they transport the construction materials which are not available in our village like cement and the pipes while we prepare sand, pebbles and stones which are plenty here.” Three Years of Waiting Yonatan Peni, chairman of the local committee for the construction process, said he has been impressed with the people’s commitment to the project and willingness to do the hard work necessary to make it happen. Without the villagers’ help in transporting construction materials over the rough and rocky terrain, the project simply wouldn’t have been possible. “It could reach hundreds of million of rupiahs if their contribution was calculated in money,” said Yonatan. Because of their contribution, the installation and usage costs for villagers have been set quite low, at Rp 10,000 for a connection, and Rp 1, 000 per cubic liter of water used. “With the measured pricing system of installation and the water use, it’s fair,” Yonatan added.
Not just any old water An easy guide to pipe network planning Kalabahi. “After we’ve done it, it’s not difficult at all,” said Imanuel Titing, a participant in the recent gravity pipe system design course held in Alor district from August 11 to 15. Imanuel, better known as Ima, was one of 25 participants who came from Belu, Rote Ndao, South Timor Tengah, East Sumba and Alor to learn about pipe network planning. “Once we’re used to it, the planning work is like a fun artwork in its own,” said Ima, who planned three pipe network units in Alor district. The course, which was officially opened by Regent of Alor Ansgerius Takalapeta, was aimed at giving technical staff the basic training they need to design functioning pipe networks. In his speech, the Regent lauded moves to install house-to-house piped water, saying this would guarantee justice and fairness among residents. “If all along the people here could afford mobile telephone vouchers, I think they could pay for the water as well,” he said. During the five-day course, participants learned how to calculate water need, deal with decreasing pressure levels, plan reservoir installations and much more. On August 12, the participants traveled to Mawar to see the construction progress in the village. There, they also learned to use high-tech devices like Abney hand levels and GPS devices in field research. “It’s really an interesting experience to see how the Mawar villagers wholeheartedly take part in the construction process,” said Jamaludin, a participant from East Sumba. After completing the training, the participants are expected to survey and plan for a water supply network in their respective areas. “I hope by the end of September 2008, eight designs for five districts can be done,” said Robby Kamarga, a UNICEF WES specialist. He also said that if all goes to plan, construction of those eight designs could start before the end of this year. It is now up to the training participants to get started on these great projects. Good luck, friends!
“Don’t forget to oil the pipes!” Maumere. As Chair of the drinking water infrastructure committee in Egon Gahar village, Andreas Ariles thought he knew a lot about pipes. But when he took part in a pipe installation training program held in Sikka, Maumere in June, he learned a lot he didn’t know about how to build effective water infrastructure and make it last into the future. For one thing, Andreas learned that iron galvanized pipes must be built into the land, not left on the surface where they can become damaged or weather-worn. He was not the only one who learned something new. Polce, a graduate of Yogyakarta University, said he has learned about the theoretical side of water infrastructure, but very little about how to put that into practice. “I did not know much about the technicality of installing pipe for water supply although when I was in university, I learned hydraulic systems,” he said. Andreas, Polce and 19 others were taught to properly install and maintain water infrastructure as part of a construction project which will bring piped water to the villages of Egon Gahar and Kowi for the first time. With construction beginning in August, Gaudensius Halima from the Sikka Planning Board said that training local people was key to the project’s success. “Now, we’re waiting for them to take action,” Halima said, watching from the sidelines as the students practice what they’ve learned. In the distance, one of the trainers can be heard: ”Before you plant the pipes, don’t forget to oil them. Plant them straight, not sideways please!”
October 15 Global Hand washing Day UNICEF Kupang Field Office
POKJA AMPL of the East Nusa Tenggara Province
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