Help Jeffery's project to access water in Zimbabwe
Donation protected
Hi, we are Liz, Hendrik, and Kathleen, (sisters & partner) helping to raise funds on behalf of Jeffery Ncube.
An economic refugee from Zimbabwe, Jeffery has lived an extremely precarious life in South Africa. Jeffery is a skilled worker, who has worked on many varied building projects for much of our extended family. He is also a wonderful, kind person.
Since 2022, our family and friends have been raising funds to help Jeffery realise his goal of being able to return to his home in Zimbabwe to establish the farm that would enable him to be self-sufficient and support his family there.
To take the first step, Jeffery needed to drill a borehole for better access to water on his property. We raised the needed money for the drilling, tank and solar powered pump: ZAR50,000 ($2680/ €2500) but after complications, this money was needed for the drilling alone.
In this second round of fundraising, our goal is to raise at least another R50,000 for the water tank, solar pump, and hopefully some startup capital.
Below is a timeline detailing the project so far:
- May '22 – We begin raising money, asking family and friends if they could contribute to helping Jeffery. He asks us, however, to keep the money until he leaves for Zimbabwe.
- Jun '23 – The R50,000 is transferred to Jeffery ahead of his trip to his farm in Zimbabwe. Jeffery looks for possible drilling companies which are willing to drive to his property. A geological surveyor visits his property and says the water table can be accessed 25m to 60m below surface.
- July to Aug '23 – The drilling is hampered for several weeks and for various reasons, meaning that a hole is drilled much later. Water proves to be difficult to access, even at 60m. Wet soil is extracted but unfortunately, no flowing water. We are all somewhat disheartened by this. Jeffery is however adamant that water will be found at 100m below surface.
- Nov '23 - Jeffery sells two cows and uses the left over money we collected to drill to 100 m. He now has found flowing water! However, Jeffery is unable to buy a water tank or solar pump and so cannot access the water.
Set in an ongoing drought, Jeffery is concerned that his animals have easier access to water (currently they need to walk around 4km to the nearest dam). His dream is still to set up his own subsistence farm and we are still hopeful to help Jeffery get the funds he needs to buy a water tank and solar motor powerful enough to pump water from 100m deep.
We now are turning to our wider communities to ask you to help our family reach this goal for Jeffery's family and community.
The first round of drilling:
The second drilling:
The borehole, now with cement:
Organizer
Kathleen Samson
Organizer
Berlin, Berlin