On Monday, on my way home from teaching at the middle school, I stopped by the Koukoude neighborhood. The path into the neighborhood winds through a Teak tree plantation, dips through a creek bed, and opens up on to rice, yam, and millet fields. There’s a new sight as you crest the hill just beyond the first set of fields: a fully functioning borehole water pump.

On Thursday of last week, we inaugurated the pump. Most of the past month, my work has focused on running all around to get the water pump installed. A lot of phone calls, trips to the bank, and meetings later it is complete. From my time in Togo, I know folks here know how to celebrate: it is a duty to dance and celebrate life at funerals, weddings, and ceremonies for the new year; every meeting must end with women bringing barrels of beer out and toasts made all around; you call out “good job!” to anyone you pass who is working. The bursts of joy that water has brought to Koukoude was a new level celebration and excitment to me. While drilling, when water at last burst out of the ground, serious old men leaped up and clapped their hands. During the inauguration as we pumped water for the first time, women began to sing and men clapped a rhythm to join them. When I greeted folks in the neighborhood the other night a couple of grandmothers came right up to me to give a hug. Looking at clean water pouring from the spout puts a smile on everyone’s face.

I walked with my work partners to the neighborhood chiefs house to make a plan for the next step of our project: the community garden. We passed by the pump on the way. Folks were chatting away as they pumped water, or snacking on the fallen fruit as they waited their turn. (A large tree shades the area and children climb up its branches to shake down fruit for their friends.) One of my work partners pointed out that before no one spent time here: now the spot had become a gathering space. My friends here and I are all looking forward to the next stage of the project : setting up the garden.

I want to pass on to all of you this joy and gratitude I receiving. For everyone that was able to support the project financially and for all of my friends and family who support me and my journey here in Togo, all of this joy is also for you. The laughs, the claps, the singing, the hugs from grandmothers, and all the possibilities that water brings — all these things are shared from chez moi to chez vous. Thank you, thank you!

See below for some photos of the installation process and inauguration. The water was found at 112 meters. In total, the water pump installation and equipment cost 4,230,000 CFA which currently is a little more than 6,720 USD (the exchange rate fluctuates quite often). It is a huge sum for folks here. And, personally, I had never handled quite so much money at one time before (especially when large parts of it were in cash!). But, all things told, from an American financial perspective, installing water pumps is a relatively inexpensive way to make a major impact on a community. Personally, this experience will make me more likely to contribute to similar projects whenever I have disposable income.