Zaituna Community Drinking Well, South Sinai

Description

Zaituna, which was named after an olive tree, is a small community lying eight km below the village of St Katherine's.

The water supplied to the village is not suitable for drinking and the villagers have to travel all the way to St Katherine's by camel or van in order to fill jerrycans of water from the well in Foxcamp.

One of the villagers, Mousa Faraj, has dug out an old well near to the village and built a covered water storage space which he allows the villagers to use free of charge. However, there is not quite enough water for everyone. But if the well were deepened, there would be sufficient water, and a pipe could be laid from the well to the village.

Purpose

To provide Zaituna with safe and inexpensive drinking water

To support a community elder

To encourage the community

Beneficiaries

65-70 families (260 individuals) in the village.

Project Work

The Makhad Trust project work will be to oversee the funding and work on the well and to liaise with the village community. The community will provide some of the funding themselves.

Partners

Mousa Faraj Mousa and Zaituna community.

Current Status

Sponsorship for this project has now been gratefully received from Marian and Arie Hoogendoorn, from the Netherlands; work on the well began in April 2009.

 

 

 

Mousa Faraj and the well
Members of the Zaituna community