Technik  ohne Grenzen 

About the Project

The community of Qhosmi in the Bolivian Andes, near San Pedro de Buena Vista, is home to 27 families and around 255 people. The families mainly live from agriculture and livestock farming, but the lack of access to clean water poses a major challenge in everyday life. The residents currently use water from an untreated river, which leads to frequent health problems such as diarrhea - especially among children. Together with our partner organization World Vision Bolivia, which already has a lot of experience in the region and similar projects, we want to sustainably improve living conditions and create a safe water supply system.

In January 2025, two members of our Aachen regional group traveled to Bolivia to advance the planning of the project. Together with World Vision Bolivia, we examined three natural springs near the village. These were tested for flow rate and water quality and proved to be well suited to reliably supplying the community. Based on the results and the geographical conditions, we drew up a technical design together with World Vision Bolivia.

Based on this first design, the technical elaboration of the water gravity system follows. This includes the calculation of flow rate, pressure losses and pipe dimensions as well as the design of a storage tank and the planning of the pipe system from the source to the house connections. The aim is to ensure a reliable supply of at least 30 liters of water per person per day.

In June 2025, construction work on the water supply system in Qhosmi will begin. The system comprises two spring intakes, a feeder pipeline, a central storage tank with chlorination chamber, a distribution network and 27 house connections, each with an outdoor washbasin. Construction is being carried out under the technical supervision of the engineers and the project manager from World Vision Bolivia. The active involvement of the village community is particularly important: the residents of Qhosmi are playing a key role in the construction work, thereby making an important contribution to the implementation of the project and to strengthening local responsibility in the long term.

Another key aspect of our project is the close cooperation with the community. Together, we have established a water committee that will take care of the maintenance, upkeep and management of the system in the future. In workshops, we discussed the local conditions as well as the habits and needs of the residents in order to gain a better insight into their everyday lives and define common project goals. The active participation of the community, whether through labor, transporting materials or providing information, is a crucial factor for the success and sustainability of the project and was recorded in a written agreement.

Thanks to the support of our partners and donors, construction work is expected to begin in June 2025. In addition, we are planning accompanying educational workshops to raise awareness of hygiene and sustainable water use in the community. Afterwards, the community should be able to use and maintain the water system independently in the long term.

Together, we can enable a healthier and more sustainable future for the residents of Qhosmi.

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