Building Wells in Omereque, Bolivia
In small, isolated rural Bolivian communities, water is a challenge even in the best of times; the rainy season lasts 2-3 months, and the rest of the year is very dry. The past 2 years have seen severe droughts throughout the country (last year a state of emergency was declared at about this time for the worst drought in 25 years, with more than half of the 339 municipalities declaring a state of emergency; this year is not much better), making water projects a priority.
For more than a decade Mano a Mano has built large-scale reservoirs to help farmers retain water year-round. In recent years we have also been building wells to better meet the immediate needs of communities. We have heard that these wells that we have built in the Omereque area – more than 45 so far, with more to go – have helped farmers save their crops this year.
