LOCATION:
Bergnek Community, Polokwane Municipal Area, Limpopo Province, South Africa
Approximately 130 miles (209 km) northeast of Pretoria.
COMMUNITY DETAILS:
Bergnek is a community of roughly 3,500 people. The village was founded after the farmers in the surrounding area were displaced by the Land Reform Act of 1996 and moved to the Bergnek village.
Left and Right: General housing and landscape around Bergnek.
In the community there is some water supply via a well to the community but it is insufficient, unreliable, and requires a lot of manual transportation. In some cases, the city delivered water to the school to help with the shortfall. Beyond water needs, there is a lack of proper sanitation, housing, community centers, and business employment opportunities. Our Chapter focused on the water shortfall issues.
Left: Typical water source appearance within the community. Right: Containers used to retrieve water.
Our NGO partner, My Arms Wide Open, has worked with the community since 2010. They worked to secure a water pump for the community and are working on agricultural, hygiene, and microfinance projects in the community. Around 2014 they helped the community acquire land and funding to support the development of a clinic in the village.
To learn more about My Arms Wide Open visit: http://myarmswideopen.org/.
We have also worked with the Polokwane Municipality. They worked with our team on the standards and requirements in South Africa and funded the electrical grid work that is being utilized for the project and responsible for the water system.
PROJECT SUMMARY:
The mission of this program was to help people gain access to more clean water and empowering the community with the tools and education needed to sustain the system.
Left: Performing water quality tests. Right: At the borehole site.
PROJECT ADOPTION DATE:
July 2014 (Central Houston Professional Chapter)
PROJECT STATUS:
Closed
TEAM LEADS:
- Shasi Munukutla – Project Co-Lead
- Travis Spiegelhauer – Project Co-Lead
- Mike Terry – Responsible Engineer In Charge
- Rich Koenig – Responsible Engineer In Charge
Hi all! I would love to join this group in the completion of this project. I have experience in project execution from the Oil and Gas, Chemical, and Polymer industries. Let me know how I can be involved.