Notes from Addis
Updated: 2 days ago
I am back in Addis Ababa after an incredibly busy and demanding 10 days in the south. Yalew flies home today and Mulle my driver went home to his family last evening.
The status is:
I have signed a contract that will see a spring developed and then three water points established downhill from it over about 1.5 km at Dalbaza. One point will go into a school and another into a clinic. In all it will supply about 1400 people
Another contract in Waraza will see water points built from a spring that has already been developed. This development runs over about 2 km and supplies about 450 people
This second contract is already underway - excavation commenced while we were there and has progressed well.
All of the materials have been ordered and paid for by us this week
Sand for the concreting is being delivered to the two sites today - I would love to be in Waraza to see the reaction of the locals as they have waited for this for 18 years
I have paid the contractor 30% of the labour costs
Yalew and I will go back in one month’s time to check the work with our intention being to:
Sign three more contracts to supply water on the same mountain as the first contract above (most of this we have already seen)
Agree to some maintenance works that need doing
Order all the materials required and arrange for transport
In the meantime, I have asked the council to calculate the materials needed for the three big contracts and to prioritise their maintenance works.
I am flying back to Istanbul on Saturday, stay there for a month and come back here. I would prefer to fly home but given the current world situation, it’s probably wiser to stay closer particularly as airfares here seem to have skyrocketed - today a one way fare from Addis to Istanbul is up around USD1500.
Kindest regards
Catherine
