Dangila District, Amhara Region, Ethiopia 24^th February 2010

As part of the IDE UK and SOS Sahel Ethiopia partnership project in Amhara Region of Northern Ethiopia the team are introducing pepper grown under irrigation.   Critical to the smallholders accessing groundwater for irrigation is a low cost means of drilling wells.  The traditional well digging technique in Ethiopia is digging using a spade -  a dangerous and time consuming method which typically takes up to 3 days for one man.  This is a dangerous occupation due to the frequent collapse of the well walls on top of the well digger.

IDE has introduced the technology of manual well drilling to Ethiopia from Nepal and India.   In late 2009 IDE brought a specialist well driller from Nepal to Ethiopia to provide training.  An SOS Sahel team of four and a group of eight local entrepreneurs were trained  over 2 weeks in this these techniques known as the ‘simple sludge’ method.  Using the ‘simple sludge’ technique a well can be drilled in less than one day down to a maximum of 30 metres, without the danger of the traditional technique.   

The well drilling team are now busy drilling wells for farmers in Dangila and other districts in Amhara.  This group of entrepreneurs are in the process of setting themselves up in business using drill equipment made locally in Addis Ababa and six of the well drillers have been for further training with the IDE team.   The equipment costs 4-5000 Birr (£200 – £250).  The going rate for digging a well is 30 Birr / metre or 600 Birr for a 20 metre well.

The well drilling team have already drilled six wells since they started – all of which have been successful.   The cost of digging a well using the traditional technique is 30 Birr (£1.50) a metre.

These wells are being fitted with treadle pumps which enable the farmers to grow irrigated pepper – a high value crop in Ethiopia.