Ceremony in Tshiabobo for the Luputa Water Project

Lily talks to women of Tshiabobo at the source -- where they have obtained the water for many years.  It takes at least two trips a day for the women to obtain enough water for their families.  In between trips they must work in the fields.  These jobs fall to the women and children in the family.  Another woman tells of the effect of carrying 30 liters of water on her head twice a day for her life.

The Luputa water project completed the first phase, to Tshiabob in September 2009.  The missionaries arrived for the celebration with local Church leaders.  Crowds of villagers awaited the opening of the water stations.  Tshiabob is a village of approximately 10,000.  The project will continue to Luputa, a city of 160,000.

The chief of Tshiabobo, with sash and headress, with his family.  This is a great day for him.  The men of Tshiabobo have participated in digging the ditch that brought water from three springs in the hills.  They and the men from Luputa supplied the labor, laying pipe, filling in the trenches, in order to have the water in their village.

The bowery is full of people attending the ceremony from as far away as Kinshasa.

President and Sister Binene of the Luputa District of the LDS Church listen to the opening skit.  President Binene will address the crowd.

The governor of the province, Kasai Oriental, addresses the crowd.  He says that the government has the money but not the will to do what the Church has done.  He says the Church acts as Christians, working for others.

The Chief visits the water station.

The governor cuts the ribbon to the first station.

Palm fronds decorate the entrance to the water stations and are also used to decorate the way into the village.

The water stations have great pressure while Tshiabobo is the only villge on the system, but they should have sufficient water for years to come if the water committee functions correctly.  They must determine a way to have people pay just a little bit for the water in order to maintain the system.  One pipe costs about $500 -- a fact that really surprised the committee.