Project No. 44/2025
Drilling a Well for the Twikatane Ndola Vocational Training Center
(Ndola, Zambia)
The Conventual Franciscan Province of the Franciscan Protomartyrs in Zambia has proposed Social Project No. 44/2025, entitled “Drilling a Well for the Twikatane Ndola Vocational Training Center – Proposal for a Sustainable Water Supply” which calls for the drilling of a new well at the Twikatane Ndola Vocational Training Center, located at the Franciscan Center in the city of Ndola, for the benefit of students and the surrounding local communities.
The Twikatane Ndola Vocational Training Center was founded by volunteers from Italy in collaboration with Friar Umberto DAVOLI with the aim of supporting the less privileged people of the city of Ndola. Since the Center’s foundation, it has operated as a non-profit institution, providing young people from vulnerable social backgrounds with practical skills aimed at economic self-sufficiency and employment. Vocational training courses include catering and bricklaying. The latter, in particular, requires a constant and adequate supply of water.
Currently, the Center depends on a single well, which is now obsolete and reported to be without access to an aquifer. The existing water infrastructure is insufficient for the Center’s more than 400 enrolled students, including a new group of students supported by the government under a special program for apprentices without formal qualifications. To ensure long-term water security and support the expansion of educational activities, it has become necessary to drill a new sixty-meter (189 foot)-deep well to ensure stable access to clean water for students and staff.
The expenses already incurred for the implementation of the project have mainly concerned:
- drilling the well to the planned depth;
- purchasing and installing a 10,000-liter (2642-gallon) water tank;
- a supply of PVC pipes of various diameters;
- purchasing plumbing accessories for water distribution;
- building and installing the tank support structure;
- ancillary expenses necessary for the technical completion of the system.
The project is fully funded thanks to the contribution of the Italian Province of St. Anthony of Padua (Northern Italy) of the Conventual Franciscan Friars (PISAP FMC), together with the Missioni Francescane Emilia-Romagna MiFrER ETS (Third Sector Entity), a charitable organization belonging to the same religious Province, and direct contributions from the local community.
Outcome and Final Results of Project No. 44/2025
September 2026 Update
Project No. 44/2025 received funding on January 9, 2026. Due to heavy rains, experts recommended postponing the drilling of the well until the end of the rainy season. Funds were therefore disbursed to the institution on June 25, 2026. Work began on June 27, 2026, and the drilling of the well was successfully completed on the same day without any difficulties.
As part of the Project, a well fifty meters deep was constructed instead of the originally planned sixty-meter well. In addition, a 10,000-liter water tank, a water pump, plumbing accessories, an electrical cable, ropes, and PVC pipes were purchased. Finally, the existing support structure for the tank was renovated.
The Project encountered two main difficulties. First, heavy rainfall made it necessary to postpone the well drilling until the end of the rainy season. Second, and more significantly, fluctuations in the exchange rate resulted in an estimated loss of approximately 30,000 ZMW (Zambian kwacha—about €1,350) and reduced the resources available for some of the work originally planned. Consequently, instead of constructing a new platform for the water tank, the existing support structure was renovated.
The Project has significantly improved the water supply and the overall functioning of the Center. A reliable water supply has eliminated the previous water shortage and now provides students and staff with sufficient water for their daily needs. The improved water supply has also created better conditions for learning, hygiene, sanitation, and the overall operation of the school.
The Project has also contributed to the school’s ability to accommodate a larger number of students and has supported the launch of an additional training course.
Currently, the school has 255 students across its five departments who are the direct beneficiaries of the Project, as they rely on the water supply during school hours. Indirect beneficiaries are estimated at approximately fifty-one families connected to the school and its activities.
Before the Project was implemented, the school did not have a reliable water supply. This situation affected basic daily activities, including access to drinking water, sanitation, and the use of restroom facilities, creating an inadequate environment for students and staff.
Following the Project’s completion, the school now has a reliable water supply. This has improved overall hygiene, sanitation, safety, and the work and learning environment. The availability of water has also enhanced the dignity and well-being of students and staff and enabled the school to operate under more favorable and sustainable conditions.
In light of these results, the staff are now more motivated, and the students—who are satisfied with the new conditions—are encouraging others to enroll at the school.
The Project has thus brought about a positive and visible change in the school’s daily life, transforming it from a situation of water scarcity to one in which an adequate supply of water is consistently available.
Final Financial Status
A local contribution of 35,001.08 ZMW (approximately €1,575) supplemented the donor’s contribution and supported the implementation of the Project. Exchange-rate fluctuations resulted in an estimated loss of approximately 30,000 ZMW (about €1,350), affecting the planned construction of a new tank platform. The school therefore renovated the existing support structure instead.
The total available funds fifty-one documented expenses amount to 66,703.00 ZMW (approximately €3,000), with a final balance of zero.
Projects Office
Project Information
- Conventual Franciscan Jurisdiction: Province of the Franciscan Protomartyrs in Zambia
- Country: Zambia
- Location: Ndola
- Type of Project: Social Project
- Date of Proposal: 2025
- Direct Project Coordinator:
- Friar Luke Katongo CHILAMBWE
- Email: ofmconvzm@gmail.com
- Total Project Cost:
- €2,713.84 (ZMW 70,560.00)
- Local Contribution:
- €678.46
- Requested Contribution:
- €2,035.38
- Funding Status: Project funded by the Italian Province of St. Anthony of Padua (Northern Italy) of the Friars Minor Conventual (PISAP FMC); and through the charitable organization Missioni Francescane Emilia Romagna (MiFrER ETS):
- €2,050.00
Projects Office
