by Arison Tamfu, Arnaud Mbaigolmem
N'DJAMENA, June 30 (Xinhua) -- For years, people in southern Chad's Mandoul and Salamat provinces woke each morning to the same burden: a long journey to collect water that was often unsafe to drink.
Robgue Ozias knew that struggle well. Living in Madan, a district of Koumra, the capital of Mandoul Province, he walked four km every day just to fill a jerrycan.
"In the past, during every dry season, each family had to send at least one able-bodied person to walk four kilometers to fetch water. Our ancestors endured this hardship generation after generation," Ozias said.
That changed in late October 2024, when Chinese engineers from China Jiangxi International Economic and Technical Cooperation Co., Ltd. began drilling deep beneath the arid land of Mandoul and Salamat.
So far, the project has delivered more than 500 hand-pump wells, 57 centralized water supply stations and over 100 public latrines.
Huo Wenlong, the project's site manager in Mandoul, said the average depth of the hand-pump wells exceeds 45 meters, while centralized water stations are drilled to depths of more than 90 meters, with the deepest well reaching over 150 meters.
"We always conduct thorough preliminary exploration and analysis. The wells we drill must strictly meet water quality and quantity standards," he said.
Project manager Fu Renyin said the most challenging work was in Aboudeia, Salamat Province, where previous drilling attempts had failed for two decades because the rocky terrain yielded almost no groundwater. "After eight months of work, our team finally hit a flow rate that works for the Chadian community," Fu said, adding that construction was nearly complete by the end of June.
In early June, as Chad's dry season drew to a close, temperatures climbed above 40 degrees Celsius under a blazing sun. At a newly built water supply station in Madan, women and children queued with smiles as clean water filled their buckets and basins. They balanced the containers on their heads and walked home -- not four km as they once did, but only a few dozen meters.
The scene, though seemingly ordinary, would have been unimaginable just a few years ago.
"This project has brought hope and relief to more than 6,000 of my fellow citizens," said Mrangue Madjingain, the traditional leader of Madan. "Water is the source of life, but unsafe water is also a source of disease. With a stable supply, the incidence of illness is dropping, and we can finally focus on production instead of struggling daily just to survive."
Mangue Oudah Ali, Mandoul's delegate for water and energy, praised the determination of the Chinese team.
"It showed remarkable tenacity," he said. "In the past, women had to travel long distances to fetch water. Today, the water is right there in front of them."
About 30 km from Koumra, the villages of Kouman and Ngonbe have also been transformed. At every newly installed water facility, the "China Aid" logo bears the inscription "For a Shared Future."
In Kouman, children gathered around a hand pump as clean water flowed freely. When the Chinese engineers arrived, 60-year-old Anmadji Kosadoum was among the first to greet them.
"Thank you, Chinese friends," he said. "Our lives have changed. Dry season or rainy season, we now have safe water."
The benefits have also reached livestock farmers. In Ngonbe, Koumtemadji Raikeman no longer has to drive his animals for hours in search of water. "It is a huge advantage for both people and animals," he said.
To ensure a continuous water supply, engineers installed a dual-power system at the water stations.
"When the sun is shining, the station runs on solar energy. In the evening or during overcast weather, it automatically switches to the generator to ensure an uninterrupted water supply," Huo said.
Chadian Minister of Water and Energy Passalet Kanabe Marcelin, who has visited the construction sites several times, said the project will benefit more than 600,000 people.
"This project is shining proof of the fruitful cooperation between Chad and China. It will help us accelerate the implementation of our National Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Program, particularly in the most vulnerable rural areas," he said. ■