Visiting the Wirkini Water Project

Mano a Mano co-founder Segundo Velasquez was recently in Bolivia. During his trip he had the opportunity to visit the water project in Wirkini, Bolivia that is almost done and already being used.

Segundo sent the note below about Wirkini:

“During my trip I visited the Wirkini water reservoir project where we have completed all heavy machine work. Community residents are building the overflow channel to make sure the levee will never be compromised in the event too much water flows into the reservoir basin. Final steps of clearing the area, repairing equipment, and relocating machines to our next two projects keeps our people busy as the reservoir continues to fill with water from small springs in the area. Water is collecting. Farmers have begun using it to irrigate their fields.”

Wirkini water reservoir.

More Information About the Wirkini Water Project

Wirkini is a small community located in the Province of Tiraque, Department of Cochabamba, and is about 12,700 feet above sea level in the Bolivian Altiplano.

The reservoir will provide irrigation water to at least 341 Bolivian farm families in the area and irrigate 269 hectares of land (average family size is 6, for a total number of beneficiaries of 2,046). Water is typically only available in the Bolivian Highlands for the 2-3 month rainy season, and the rest of the year is a struggle for farmers to have water access for their crops and livestock. These water reservoir projects retain water and provide water access year-round, which allows for farmers to grow more and better crops, which in turn increases family nutrition and household incomes. Check out some of Mano a Mano’s other water projects here.