The For-Profit Approach

Investment in the Northern Ethiopian Highlands

Since the completion of Vikuv’s water prospecting project in 2009, around 6000 inhabitants of the Kobo Valley in Northern Ethiopia are provided with fresh water every day.

Weha heywat neaw – Water is life
Photo: Dudás György, Vikuv Zrt.

The Hungarian Water Prospecting and Drilling Joint-stock Company spent 101.000$ on drilling two wells in the villages of Abuware and Hablomender. They built two waterworks and one sub irrigation system in the fields nearby, which allow now the local community to harvest three times a year. 

The project started in September 2007 with a week-long training of 10 Ethiopian engineers, who attended lectures, visited farms, hydroelectric stations and got familiar with irrigation systems in Hungary. In late 2007 the equipment of Vikuv Zrt. were transported to the villages 600km north from Addis Ababa that were requisite to effectuate the wells and waterworks. Involving local labor in the drilling for $1/day remuneration, the wells had been installed by the end of September 2008 and the waterworks by June 2009.

Locals helping the drilling works at Kobo Girana Valley.
Photo: Dudás György, Vikuv Zrt Photo: Dudás György, Vikuv Zrt

At 100 meter depth a great quantity of fresh and clean groundwater was explored and was brought to the surface, close to the primary school of Abuware. “The ceremonial transmission was grandiose,” said György Dudás, project manager of Vikuv. “They were very happy about the wells, but I do not know in what condition the installations are by now.”

The manager explained his reservations about the sustainability of their project: “when we first arrived to explore the Amhara region we saw some wells in awful, practically unusable conditions. Who drilled them, which aid program it was, we didn’t even know. We don’t have much feedback from the locals in Kobo, thus our machineries might look the same by this time. But I do hope they take care of them.”

“We did bring loose parts and some tools for the community to drill the ditch for the irrigation system. I remember how they were laughing when they looked at our spades and hoes that were absolutely useless against the clayey surface. One of the kids run back home and brought a spear to our astonishment and literally started to carve a hole in the ground.”

The Kobo Girana valley is surrounded by 3000m high mountains and geologically is a basaltic area where the hard loam does not let the rainwater through the ground; hence the moisture simply oozes away. Due to the waterworks the inhabitants get continuous access to enough drinking water now and because of the sub irrigation system their crops get watered directly, ensuring them farm products through all the year.

“Water is a treasure there. It was a great success to work together with the local people intently for a common goal, to see the leaders of the villages discussing the matters in a very democratic way and to watch the children playing with the running water filled with delight. We would really like to return to Ethiopia in the near future. We acknowledge the importance of contribution and the good investment opportunities.”
Vikuv Zrt. is engaged in water prospecting and drilling for over 150 years and is present in many European countries and also in Mongolia, Kuwait, Libya. The company plans to have future business investments in Ethiopia in cooperation with the Ministry of Water and Energy of Ethiopia. 

Amhara kids playing with the water pipe installed by Vikuv
Photo: Dudás György, Vikuv Zrt