The construction season runs from February until July.  This is part of the dry season, after everyone has harvested and stored their crops, and after important religious celebrations which means that people are available to be engaged to help with the building.   Yalew and the CEO have great relationships with local government, villages and contractors, all of whom are instrumental in decision-making, the building process, and the success of the installations.  Local government offices provide a water specialist to work alongside us whilst also loaning us some equipment, and helping to source appropriate contractors.  We organise a contract at the site that takes in the requirements of the end-users, and the contractor usually commences construction that day by engaging local people to help.

No mechanical means are available for construction due to the remoteness of our sites, the absence of power sources, and the absolute poverty of the region.  So during the construction process everything is performed by hand, including excavation, concrete mixing, and breaking rock for gravel and aggregate.  Water For A Village visits the site at least once mid-build to check on progress. At the end of the build, we meet with the community, discuss how things went, inspect the site, and pay the contractor.  

Yalew and Catherine purchase all the goods required by the contractors which are then stored safely at the council offices until required by the contractors.  Although they can sometimes be delivered by a small truck, ponies and donkeys are more commonly used for moving goods to the sites.   Ponies and donkeys are hired by Water For A Village at the market rate.