Professionalizing Manual Drilling in Africa 2 of 2

[jimhocking3792]

Although in this particular location all the pieces can be found. I know that this is NOT the case in most parts of Chad, Congo and CAR. When statements like this are made it is important that the location is mentioned because this is not the rule of thumb for the areas mentioned in these two video's.

[NicFarrow]

The disadvantage with hand methods of drilling is that it is very hard work, and requires large numbers of day labourers to complete the task. In the hot tropical sun, the energy available from each worker is relatively small. An hour a day is about all they can manage. This means hand drilling may not be as cheap as is mostly assumed by proponents. In the short demonstration films, the workers are enthusiastic. In real life they are less so productivity is often very disappointing.

[Igangaman]

This film does not connect the technology with execution. Drilling in the US, is ENTIRELY private enterprise. Small companies compete in a market place where there are willing buyers.

In Africa, there are few such buyers, and the market is limited to government and NGO work. In villages, however cheap the technology, there are no buyers. The methods, which boil down to the efforts of a few day labourers, give benefits lasting for generations, but there are still no takers. Why is this?