Windmill Day 2, Chifuchambewa

As we continue to get ready for the irrigation season, we will be finishing out two windmills: one at Chifuchambewa, Salima, and the other at Chambwe, Kasungu.

In the previous post, we saw the tower and water tank slab at Chifuchambewa. Last week, we returned to install a few more components and to build the tank walls.

The windmill stands just at the edge of the wellspring. An adjustable lever is driven by wind, running the pump to the side, in the well. This allows us a stable place set the windmill tower, and for the mechanical advantage to be adjusted to suit our power requirements.

 The farmers are hands-on in the process. Men mix cement, lay bricks, and plaster the wall. Pictured below, women ferry sand from the river to keep the work going without delays.

 Finally, the windmill was raised and installed atop the tower. We will return after 2 weeks to install the blades and let it start pumping water. Meanwhile, farmers are preparing their land, and the tank is hardening.