Partners: EWB US-JHU (EWB USA-John Hopkins University), David Alcock, Zakhe Agricultural College, and the Rotary Club of Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
Start Date: August 09
Duration: 10 days - 3 weeks
No. of Volunteers: 1-2

A short placement to assess the feasibility of the first long-term EWB-UK/EWB-USA collaboration to assist with the implementation of distributing locally manufactured Alcock Hydraulic Ram Pumps to local community vegetable garden co-operatives.

Application
If interested, please send a CV and cover letter to pn.london@ewb-uk.org.

Background
The high prevalence of HIV and tuberculosis combined with the need for parents to search for work in urban and mining areas means that many children in KwaZulu Natal are looked after by their grandmothers. In order for these women to support their grandchildren they run Community Vegetable Gardens. This supplements their family’s diet and makes a small contribution to the family income. Up to 6 hours a day however is spent collecting water to irrigate these gardens which reduces their potential yield and causes health problems.

To help combat this EWB USA-JHU has been working with David Alcock to create a distribution chain for the locally designed Alcock Hydraulic Ram Pump. It is hoped a number of these will be installed at the community garden co-operatives to increase yield, improve member health and increase income as more time can be spent at the market selling their produce rather than irrigating the gardens.

The distribution of these pumps will be the responsibility of a second local partner, The Zakhe Agricultural College. Here, it is hoped, a small facility will be set up to manufacture, test and maintain the pumps. An initial phase of this has been the installation of two ram pumps by previous EWB USA-JHU volunteers at the college. The technology of the pumps is now being incorporated into the curriculum and it is hoped that they will be able to use this learning to sustain a manufacturing and distribution facility.

Roles and Responsibilities
You will be assessing the project for its potential as a long-term placement for an EWB UK volunteer in the summer of 2010. It is proposed that long-term EWB-UK placements will assist in empowering Zakhe Agricultural College to sustainably disseminate and implement the Alcock ram pumps.

In addition to this you will be:
• Assisting EWB US-JHU volunteers with the installation of two ram pumps in two garden co-operatives.
• Conducting a social survey of a previous pump installation at Ndwedwe Gardens to assess it impact.
• Assessing the potential of a reservoir irrigation system.

If it seems appropriate from your assessment that the project is suitable for an EWB UK placement in 2010 there will be an opportunity for you to become project manager, be part of a project support team or even volunteer yourself.

Volunteer Requirements
- Water engineering, hydrologist, geologist background (essential)
- Travel experience (essential)
- Overseas development experience (preferable)
- Driving license (essential)
- Experience of needs assessing (preferable)

Expenses
The volunteer will be expected to cover most, if not all, expenses or seek their own sponsorship.

Flight: ~£800,
Food and board: £5-£15/pn,
Plus other travel expenses such as vaccines, insurance etc…

The main financial support for the 2009 project is through the Rotary Foundation by way of a Matching Grant and through the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture by way of a Food Security Grant. The Matching Grant involves five U.S. Rotary Clubs (Fort Collins, Colorado, Breakfast RC; Fort Collins, Colorado, After Work RC; Towson Maryland, RC; Mount Airy, Maryland, RC; and Sheridan, Wyoming RC), the RC of Pietermaritzburg in RSA, and one Rotary District (District 7620 in the Rock Mountain region of the United States). The 2009 projects will be overseen by the Rotary Club of Pietermaritzburg and by Zakhe Agricultural College.