The project of Social Promotion in the Palestinian city of Salfit, funded by the Madrid City Council, has successfully been completed, even before its end, scheduled for May 25, its activities have tried to respond to the problem of water shortage in this region.

Thus, on May 8 the inauguration of the installation of a new pump at the Al Matwi spring was celebrated, to replace another older one whose frequent breakdowns, and being submerged, forced to cut off the water supply during the less two weeks to carry out its repair, depriving the population access to water during that time, in a region where this good is also scarce. Easy access to the new pump, which will no longer be underwater, will significantly reduce supply cuts in a region where every drop is critical.

After the installation of this new pump, on May 12, and as the last activity of the project, a training course has been conducted for municipal technicians, on the use of the new installed equipment, the resolution of problems that may arise in the future, and on the efficient and responsible use of the Al Matwi spring with the resources that are now available.

In May the activities planned within the awareness campaign “Life in the Drops”, which began last December with the organization of a conference at the City Council of Salfit, addressed to various state organizations and Municipalities, both in Salfit and in the surrounding area, where the water problem in the region and in the rest of Palestine was addressed.

This campaign has also included the distribution of brochures among Salfit’s population, with information on the cost of water and on techniques and initiatives for saving: stocking up on a water storage tank, the use of drip irrigation systems replacing the traditional irrigation with a hose, etc.

Last May 3, the last activity that included this campaign was carried out, with the visit to two schools to inform 15-year-olds about the water problem in Salfit, and about water saving techniques in the domestic field: close faucets when they are not being used or put a bottle of water in the toilet tank to reduce its capacity and, consequently, the water used to fill it.

This awareness campaign has had a great reception among the local public and has also had a great collaboration with the authorities, who have even helped by offering their views to adolescents in schools.