In most parts of the world – like in Somaliland – water, H2O, seems more and more a myth. The founders of The Winddrinker want to put this to an end. Sjoerd Dijkstra, a Dutchman, is one of them. “Our aim is to make clean drinking water affordable for the poor. The Winddrinker turns salt water into clean drinking water, and only by using wind energy. In dry coastal areas of developing countries or in countries where people do not have access to clean water, this could be the solution.”
The Winddrinker – Project in progress
Water, water, every where,
And all the boards did shrink;
Water, water, every where,
Nor any drop to drink.
From: The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere – Samuel Taylor Coleridge, 1798
It almost seemed a losing game last month when Sjoerd Dijkstra and his team were faced with a collapsing wall. Although the well provided gallons of water, beholding the bewildering Malao Waters, the project had to be postponed, shortly. New bricks had to be made by the local people, in order to rebuild the fourth wall.
The sun dried all the bricks they needed.
[insert Photo The Winddrinker - Bricks, everywhere you look, bricks]
As to the leader of this project, he left Holland on the 10th of September heading for Somaliland. Again, Dijkstra was very glad to see the locals rebuilding and plastering the wall.
[insert Photo The Winddrinker – reconstructing the wall]
And then, the locals helped Dijkstra digging the holes for the foundations upon which the windmill itself will stand.
[ insert Photo The Winddrinker – digging the holes for the foundations]
Tremendous progress
Only a few days later, on the 18th of September they started building the windmill. Dijkstra says: “A great day with tremendous progress. While yesterday it didn’t look like we would ever get the windmill straight, today we actually solved the problem.” The supplier of the construction of the windmill had sent four wrong metal pieces. They found out these were too short.
Dijkstra continues: “After removing these four pieces, all legs positioned itself. We also managed to get the first level of the tower into the foundation holes.” Besides all that Dijkstra and his team succeeded in leveling and positioning everything properly. A very accurate job; because every small deviation could affect building the windmill.
“Really, it had to be placed within one centimetre.”
[Insert Photo The Winddrinker – building the tower]
At the end of the day, Dijkstra was very pleased, looking upabove his head, at the windmill. “I am determined to see The Winddrinker work…”
Let us all hope for a happy ending… So we can turn around the phrase of Samuel Taylor Coleridge into:
Water, water, every where,
So many drops to drink.
Linda Graanoogst
In most parts of the world – like in Somaliland – water, H2O, seems more and more a myth. The founders of The Winddrinker want to put this to an end. Sjoerd Dijkstra, a Dutchman, is one of them. “Our aim is to make clean drinking water affordable for the poor. The Winddrinker turns salt water into clean drinking water, and only by using wind energy. In dry coastal areas of developing countries or in countries where people do not have access to clean water, this could be the solution.”
Water, water, every where,
And all the boards did shrink;
Water, water, every where,
Nor any drop to drink.
From: The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere – Samuel Taylor Coleridge, 1798
It almost seemed a losing game last month when Sjoerd Dijkstra and his team were faced with a collapsing wall. Although the well provided gallons of water, beholding the bewildering Malao Waters, the project had to be postponed, shortly. New bricks had to be made by the local people, in order to rebuild the fourth wall.
The sun dried all the bricks they needed.
Bricks, everywhere you look, bricks
As to the leader of this project, he left Holland on the 10th of September heading for Somaliland. Again, Dijkstra was very glad to see the locals rebuilding and plastering the wall.
Reconstructing the wall
And then, the locals helped Dijkstra digging the holes for the foundations upon which the windmill itself will stand.
Digging the holes for the foundations
Tremendous progress
Only a few days later, on the 18th of September they started building the windmill. Dijkstra says: “A great day with tremendous progress. While yesterday it didn’t look like we would ever get the windmill straight, today we actually solved the problem.” The supplier of the construction of the windmill had sent four wrong metal pieces. They found out these were too short.
Dijkstra continues: “After removing these four pieces, all legs positioned itself. We also managed to get the first level of the tower into the foundation holes.” Besides all that Dijkstra and his team succeeded in leveling and positioning everything properly. A very accurate job; because every small deviation could affect building the windmill. “Really, it had to be placed within one centimetre.”
Building the tower
At the end of the day, Dijkstra was very pleased, looking up at the windmill. “I am determined to see The Winddrinker work…”
Let us all hope for a happy ending… So we can turn around the phrase of Samuel Taylor Coleridge into:
Water, water, every where,
So many drops to drink.
Linda Graanoogst
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