ASSOCIATION FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT (ARD)

Secretary’s note: 122007


ARD first contacted us in 2003. A solicited proposal received in October of that year requested $3,183 for five bore wells and hand pumps for seven villages ($637 per well). Because this organization had been endorsed by Brother Kimpton (and proven registered with the national and state governments), the WFH committee later reopened this file and granted $1,274 for two out of the five wells in June of 2006. They demonstrated that they could complete the project in good faith and submitted a final report.

Their original proposal described problems typical of southern India; seasonal drought conditions, long distances to haul, contamination of surface waters and sickness due to water-borne diseases, all further exacerbated by caste conflict. A hygienically-sealed drilled well with hand pump was proposed as the solution at each of five sites. The people of each village contributed their unskilled labor, under the management of ARD. Total population of the five villages was estimated at 5,800, with 1,700 of these directly benefiting from the wells. Members of the community were selected to form a water and sanitation committee, who would be responsible for future maintenance and repair of the pumps. A pump repair fund was set up to provide monies for parts and repair. A dowser who was also a geologist selected the sites on common land which would not later be disputed.

Their report upon completion of the first two wells stated that “our own very first attempts were successful. The identified places have enough water sources as mentioned by the diviner. It gives great pleasure to our target community that both the wells have good water which can be utilized for drinking purposes. They need not walk for kilometers to get drinking water anymore…Women of the villages are very much happy on seeing the water because the hand pump has reduced half of their household burden…We express our sincere thanks for coming forward to support our target community to have their important basic need.   Sincerely yours, Dr. K. Joseph Vincent, Secretary”

Later, at our request, ARD submitted testimonials from the beneficiaries themselves, describing how the wells changed their lives for the better:

Dear Sir,

“I am a member of a self-help group. Besides our youth group, there are three more women SHGs in our village. We in parallel make steps to rectify the social problems in our village.

The main problem which affects our daily life is acute scarcity of drinking water. Drinking water was supplied to us from the mother village, Kokulam. Since ours is the last area in supply, we received small quantity of water only. To fetch our women used to go to the farming water source of well. The owner of the well did not allow us to take water from their well. So our women had to walk a long distance to fetch water. In chain reaction to water problem, we have to face more problems in our daily work and maintain the cattle with the insufficient available water etc. We approached local body leaders and ward councilors but the result was negative. At that time we brought to the attention of ARD. We also go by hand in all the activities taken by them. Now we are in a comfortable situation with drinking water. We thank both ARD and Water for Humanity Fund on behalf of all other beneficiaries.”

M. Muthaiya, Sivan Kovil Colony

Dear Sirs,

“My name is Kadasari. I am a landless agricultural laborer. Since we are very poor and most backward, the Government has constructed houses for us. In our village we have a common over head water tank through which we had insufficient supply of drinking water to our area since our area is situated in the last of the village. We suffered a lot due to insufficiency of water for our daily essential requirement.

Meanwhile, the sewage water mingled with the drinking water supplying source. So we did not drink that water. The local body did not take necessary steps to rectify the problem. Hence we submitted our problem to the Association for Rural Development (ARD) through our SHG. They discussed with our village people and installed a bore-well hand pump with the help of the Water for Humanity Fund. Earlier my children used to go to school without taking bath. After the installation of bore-well hand pump, the children are taking bath regularly. Thanks to the donors. A committee was formed to maintain and manage the hand pump by us.”

Kadasari, Vadakkampatti Colon

Dear Sirs,

I am a member of a self-help group for women, aged about thirty years…Our area got its water supply from the nearest village’s over head tank, but we have not had sufficient supply of drinking water for all the families in our village. So we approached the local body leader. He told us that our area would be connected by a separate connection, but that was not undertaken. Hence our problem remained unchanged. We faced difficulty in getting the children to ready for schooling and others for work.

Due to drinking of contaminated water, we were attacked by jaundice, fever and other diseases. We approached ARD to ectify the problem. They stepped in to help. They told us they would install a hand pump in our area, and selected the area with the help of the President. ARD tested whether there was sufficient underground water. After getting positive result, they made a bore in that place. There we got sweet water. ARD trained us to maintain the bore well properly. All the elders in the area will co-operate with us. This made a chance to the two opposite casts (religion) work together. Thanks to the Water for Humanity Fund and to ARD.

M. Vetrichelvi,  Sivan Koil Colony

Dear Sirs,

I am a mobile fruit vendor. Usually I leave the home in the early morning for the purpose of selling fruits in the neighboring villages. We suffered very much from drinking water problems. We were usually fetching water from an open well and water tank or a pond which became dry during the summer season. Hence, during the summer season the drinking water problem was a routine feature of our village. On the other hand, during the rainy season, the well, tank and pond became so full of water that it became a breeding center for mosquitoes and flies which got it contaminated, resulting in water borne diseases ike diarrhea, typhoid and fever, etc.

The provision of bore well and hand pump by ARD with the help of the Water for Humanity Fund put an end to all those problems and now we are getting safe and sufficient drinking water to our village.

Periyasamy, Vadakampatti Colony

Dear Sirs,

We as a group take steps to rectify the common problems in our area. Other than any other problem the scarcity of water affected our life badly. Even though we have water pipe connection, we didn’t have sufficient water supply since it was nstalled before many years. Thus the scarcity in our basic need led many other problems within the family and in the society. We approach the Local body members many times but there was no response because of some other reasons told by them.

Association for Rural Development already led us in some other developing programs; we approach ARD to help us in this situation. They told us they will install a hand pump in our area with the help of Water for Humanity Fund. As told they install a hand pump in our area. It was helpful to us in many ways. Now we get clean water and sufficient water for our daily use. We will keep the pump as much safe. Thanks for the donor of the pump.Pasupathi, Vadakampatti Colony

Dear Sirs,

I am Sigappe, living in Sivankoil Colony, where the Scheduled Caste people are predominantly living. Since our residence area is located in elevated place than others, the supply and flow of drinking water to our residential area is very poor. Hence, we were facing acute scarcity of drinking water. It becomes great difficulty for the aged and other women who are pregnant and sick.In this situation we approached the local body authority (Village Panchayat) to rectify the problem. But our steps were not addressed properly, therefore the problem remains unchanged. Our self help group has discussed the matter and reported to the Association for Rural Development (ARD). They took keen interest and effort to ensure to provide drinking water facility to our poor people by installing a hand pump in our area. Now we are getting sufficient drinking water. Out self help group members decided to manage and maintain the pump well by collectively. We are very much grateful and thanks to the Water for Humanity Fund for providing basic need of drinking water.

Sigappee, Sivankoil Colony

Please note in the photos the sign on the side of the pump reads: “Sponsored by…Water for Humanity Fund   ASD-USA   through ARD   Sivankoil Colony”