Total Raised: £114,726
They Did It!...But The Hard Work Goes On!
Isaya said it best when he said
"..the finish line of the Flora London Marathon is not the finish. The finish is when we can turn on a tap in our village and get clean drinking water!"
Greenforce is now currently hard at work dealing with various experts and suppliers to arrange the neccessary drilling and construction works in order to bring clean drinking water to Eluai village.
It is, in our opinion, vital that every detail of the operation is carefully considered and reviewed before any drilling works are commisioned. It would be disastrous to rush into such an operation such as this as it could easily result in a very expensive, very deep, dry hole!
Greenforce is currently working towards the following objectives;
- Instructing a verification survey of the subterranean water location
- Inviting competative tenders from drilling companies for construction works
- Inviting competative tenders for service / maintenance and training schedules
- Conducting checks on drilling company credentials
- Formulating agreed construction programme / time line
It should be noted that although we are proactively pursuing the above objectives, it is often found that the coordinating of works in some less developed countries can be slow and frustrating.
Fortunately, one potentially major issue has been averted due the generousity of Mr Peter Fletcher of Grundfos UK . Grunfos (www.grundfos.co.uk) is a world leading supplier of water pumps and has kindly donated a suitable water pump to the project for which we are extremely gratefull.
But race director David Bedford was in no doubt who stood out as the personality of 2008. “The Maasai warriors have to be the defining image of this race. The reception they got and the colour they gave the event will probably end up as one of the greatest memories I’ve got in the history of the event,” he said.
Dave Bedford, Race Director, Flora London Marathon. Evening Standard Supplement
In Tanzania after years of little rain the search for water has become increasingly desperate. Initially it was the cattle that died, the very thing that the Maasai depend on to live. Now it’s the village Elders, the sick and of course the most vulnerable of all, the children who are dying. All for the want of something we all take for granted every day – clean drinking water.
A group of young warriors from Eluai village have realised that, in order to survive, they must do something. Led by Isaya, a bright and charismatic young man they have decided to take on the responsibility of bringing clean drinking water to their village.
Retaining their pride and dignity they will run in the Flora London Marathon as ‘Maasai’, wearing their traditional clothing, jewellery and shoes made from car tyres. They will be carrying their shields and sticks just as they would if travelling across their homeland.
Such courage and dedication to preserving their homes and lifestyles should not go unnoticed or unrewarded.
We ask you to support their cause by sponsoring these warriors in the Flora London Marathon.