Maintenance following the disruption to the water supply
Work began after the Salesians received reports of disruptions to the water distribution system. In the village of Santa Luzia, the community leader, João Tsidzapi, reported that residents had been forced to return to collecting water from rivers following the breakdown of the local system. The lack of water also prevented daily activities such as elderly people bathing.
In the village of Aopa, a broken pump had forced residents to resort to streams or walk to other villages to obtain drinking water. The Salesian teams therefore carried out maintenance on the water collection systems and restored the wells to working order.
Replacement of systems and installation of electric pumps
In the village of Santarém, the team comprising priests Fr Silvio Roberto and Fr Joseph Tran Van Lich and deacon José Alves de Oliveira replaced a solar-powered pumping system with an electric pump connected to the mains.
The replacement became necessary following several faults in the photovoltaic system previously installed by Brazil’s Special Secretariat for Indigenous Health. The new system aims to make water distribution more regular and increase the amount available to the village.
The project was carried out in collaboration with the Special Indigenous Health District of Barra do Garças, which requested an exemption from electricity charges for the communal water points in the villages.
The missionary network supports dozens of communities
The Salesian mission oversees the maintenance of wells in around 80 villages in the regions of Sangradouro, São Marcos and Parabubure. The work involves diagnosing faults, replacing submersible pumps and upgrading water collection systems.
According to Deacon José Alves de Oliveira, demand for new wells remains high in the region’s villages. Around 140 communities are still awaiting the drilling of new wells to gain access to water.
Demand for new wells increases the challenges
The expansion of water infrastructure faces challenges linked both to pent-up demand and to the operational capacity of the institutions. The Special Indigenous Health District cannot, on its own, meet the needs of the number of communities requesting new systems.
The operation of the systems also depends on external factors. The instability in the electricity supply from the Mato Grosso state power company can prevent testing and delay the commissioning of installed systems.
In the village of Santarém, the new electric pump has not yet been tested following installation, as the community had been without power for three days and was awaiting intervention from the power company ‘Energisa’.
Young missionaries continue a tradition of service
The new generation of missionaries and collaborators working from the Sangradouro mission continues the work carried out for years in the villages of the region. The initiative builds on the commitment of Salesians and collaborators who have dedicated themselves to drilling wells and maintaining water systems in indigenous communities, including Brother Alois (Ludwig) Würstle and the AMA project.
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