Leak Fixed

In our last report from Jos, the leak had been repaired and the farmers where beginning to clear the fields to plant!

Working Together

When the water rose, the pressure on the partially completed final section of the dam created a leak, so the farmers had to spend some time repairing it. I was finally able to clear a Saturday to go up and work with them. I'd taken materials up in the truck a number of times, but this was the first chance I'd had to work all day along side them on the dam. It was one of my best days in Aceh so far - a lot of digging, mixing, and laughing.

Progress by the End of July

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The farmers worked hard all month, and by the end, had almost completed the dam. Here is the progress they made:


Here's a shot of the small lake forming on the left side of the dam:


And a shot of the top of the dam almost completely filled in:

Mid-July Progress

We brought up a couple tons of cement, steel rebar, and a wheelbarrow in the truck, and the farmers group worked every weekend on the dam. It was quite a trek to get the truck close to the field. Even driving on roads like this,



the cement had to be taken in a kilometer further by motorbike, and then the last kilometer on shoulders.


Here are some pictures of the progress:

Getting Started

We were impressed when we saw how much of this irrigation system a group of 17 farmers had completed. By the time we arrived, they had been working for three months solely with hand tools. They had nearly finished building an earth dam,



dug about 500 meters of irrigation channel,


and pooled their money to purchase 15 bags of cement to construct a water gate.


We are partnering with the group by providing some basic building supplies.