DAPP has several projects all over Zambia. Recently, they started a project for water and sanitation in the north-western part of Zambia. For that project, DAPP called in the help of Jacana.
One of the objectives of the project is to provide affordable water solutions and to establish a local supply chain. The project will partially sponsor 100 affordable pumps by giving a discount to the first customers. This discount will decrease over time until, at a certain point, customers pay the full unsponsored price and are therefore independent of donors (self-supply). Jacana’s extensive experience in setting up self-supply projects made DAPP decide to contact us.
First of all, Douglas Mudenda and Rik Haanen travelled to the north-western province for business, financial and marketing training.
From the people they trained, 4 existing welders and 4 potential solar pump installers were selected for technical training.
Then, in a technical training course, the four welders learned how to make high-quality rope pumps and how they should be installed.
Welders produced rope pumps during training
The potential solar pump installers first learned how to advise customers to select the right type of pump. With this knowledge, they approached a customer and installed a suitable affordable solar pump. After that each entrepreneur made his own mobile solar pump, which they will use as promotional material.
Solar pump installers
Mobile solar pumps are very popular among farmers who use them to irrigate their land.
The “magic” of a portable solar pump
After the technical training, all trained entrepreneurs receive materials from DAPP to make the first few pumps, so that everyone can deliver directly from stock and the newly acquired knowledge is activated immediately.
Mwambwa Lishoma
One of the participants trained in selection and installation of electric pumps is Mwambwa Lishoma. He is 31 years old and is getting married in December 2022. Now he lives with one other brother and four sisters at his parents’ house. He lives in the District town of Mwindilunga in the North West of Zambia. He successfully completed Grade 12 and then went to a technical training institute where he got certified as a plumber and metal worker.
Mwamba during solar pump installation training
He now works as a plumber and when he has spare time he helps his father in his business. He learns how to repair trucks and sometimes he drives a truck for his father’s company. But most of the time he is a plumber.
Mwambwa was selected for the solar pump installation training by Ben Mwila. Ben is employed by DAPP and works with Mwambwa during Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) meetings.
Selecting and installing the right solar pumps for customers suits him well. Mwambwa has learnt a lot in business, financial and marketing training. When he is back in Mwindilunga, he wants to get serious about his own business. His company focuses on plumbing, advising in solar pumps and installing solar pumps. He already has a name for his new company: Mwalisho Investments.
He is very grateful to DAPP and Jacana for giving him this unique opportunity and will do his utmost to make it a success.