Yes, it’s funny every time.
Quick recap:Â Mike & his SeaBees are in Ethiopia, digging – and fixing – wells, volunteering time at the local orphanage, and smooching hyenas.
The village of Legota Mirga is about 45 minutes south of Dire Dawa. It has a school, a small medical clinic (with no doctors, and a broken generator), and a water well that was drilled in 2010. For over 2 years, the well hadn’t worked! Americans often came to look at and speculate what was wrong, but it’s hard to tell what’s at the bottom of a well. EO1 “Willie” Wilson, CM3 Jon Muzic, and I went there a few weeks ago, cut a hole in the side of the well and dropped in an electric sensor that could tell if there was any water in the well. We found water at 141 feet.
They came back with a forklift, a camera on a long cable, and parts to fix it if their theory was right….
  
With the top of the well removed, the pipe could fall to the bottom of the well shaft and ruin the well forever. The plan was to use chains with hooks to keep the pipe from falling in and pull it up from the well, but the hooks were slipping! The team needed to improve their grip, and FAST! Duct Tape fixes anything!
After a long day putting together a new pipe and sending it into the well…
… the tired crew has brought water back to Legota Mirga!
After repairing a second hopelessly-broken well, they finally got the drill rig they need for digging three new ones, and can really get started.
 
And as a footnote…
What is this? A hawk? An eagle??
