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The Current Situation
in Foutaka Zambougou

A brief summary of the current situation in Foutaka Zambougou follows. To read the full report by Karen Marx on the trip made by herself and Abdoul Doumbia to Foutaka Zambougou in January, 2003, click here.

Food

Abdoul Doumbia and Karen Marx traveled to Bamako, Mali, in late December 2002, then traveled to Segou.

In Seqou, we purchased 37,400 pounds of millet and rice, most of which was delivered to Zambougou and the "Fulani" village adjacent. The villagers were extremely grateful for the food, as their supply was insufficient to feed them until the next harvest due to the severe drought conditions.

Upon arriving in Zambougou-Fouta, we were warmly greeted – a better description would be gleefully! The next morning we met with the village and the elders. The villagers were extremely receptive and happy with our presence.

Water and Wells

The village well experts explained that their fathers and grandfathers taught them to never hand dig a well deeper than the volcanic rock, as the well would cave in and suffocate them. They said that all of the wells were hand dug to this point and could not be dug deeper. With this information and the expertise of Siaka and Oumar Traore, Sekou and I realized that the only option for an appropriate water solution would be to

1. Repair and clean out the former Saudi Arabian dug well, then install the French hand pump and replace the broken concrete slab around the pump.
2. At the location of one of the existing wells that currently has water and is centrally located to service many villagers, to bring in a drilling rig and dig the well to a 100 meter depth; install a tube well and the French pump; and create a large, round, concrete slab with a retaining wall around the pump to provide a clean area to set containers to be filled with water.
3. Locate a third existing well to dig to the 100 meter depth, as above.

This would provide the village with four good producing wells and a constant supply of water. It also would provide clean, pure water – there would be no need to provide water purification systems. The existing wells are seriously contaminated from the latrines that are ten to twenty feet from the wells, as well as debris that fall into the wells. With the described new deep wells, the contamination from latrines would no longer be a factor and a problem.

Many meetings were held with the elders, Sekou, and myself to discuss all of the issues that are distressing the villagers. We created a committee that will be responsible for maintenance of the wells and pumps, collecting the money monthly, educating the villagers about only using these wells for drinking and cooking water, and for future repairs. Specific villagers will be trained in pump repair. A women’s committee was also created to facilitate the use of the new wells.

Garden

We agreed that the committee would search for and locate a plot of fertile land where the women would have a community garden for vegetables and negotiate a price to purchase the land. Rather than individual family vegetable gardens, the women will work together. MAP and EWB-USA will provide an irrigation system for the garden.

Medical Needs

Being in Zambougou for six days enabled me to realize the serious level of illness among all of the children. One child died while we were there. We drove two children and their mother to the hospital in Segou who were diagnosed with malaria, then sent back home with medicine. Many mothers came to me with their very sick children, hoping that I could do something to help them, and I could do nothing. In spite of the incredible hardship of insufficient food, lack of nutrition, illness, death, and contaminated water, the people of Zambougou-Fouta were possibly the warmest, most hospitable, most loving, smiling, and talented people I have ever met. When it was time to leave, in one sense it was heart wrenching and in another sense I felt very happy and greatly satisfied to know that we had found a solution to provide clean water and health to these extremely thankful people.

School

I had several meetings with the three teachers of Zambougou, inspected and photographed the existing school, and discussed the current problems that are making it basically impossible to have a school at this time. I asked the teachers to prepare a list of immediate needs to make the school functional. Fulfilling these is a second priority once the wells are drilled. For a detailed list of school needs, click here.

In Summary

As of March 2003, the villagers no longer have a supply of water, and it is of the utmost and urgent importance that wells be built immediately. Donations received as this time will be allocated to the repair of one well and to drill one new well, providng enough water for 1200 people. Another well must be drilled by May 2003.