Electricity and clean water for Kipushya

The mission station is in a sense at the end of the world, far away from Lubumbashi, the economic centre of the region. The station is the only development impulse in this borderland. Without modern technical equipment, a large mission station in a remote area like Kipushya is hardly conceivable. BBM is happy to provide support in the areas of drinking water and solar energy. Our BBM technician Norbert Demmelbauer was there in person. He supervised the installation of the photovoltaic system supplied by BBM and instructed the local team in operation and maintenance.

The Austrian priest Father Johann Kiesling has also started a well project around the mission station. Wells are not a matter of course in the region Clean drinking water, however, is essential for survival. The groundwater table is at a depth of about 20 metres. In the dry season, the soil is very hard. The local team digs with a break-up hammer or digging spade and then lays the walls. A construction compressor supplied by BBM supports the work by pumping out and cleaning the well. Because when the groundwater is reached, the water has to be pumped out so that digging can continue.