3. Hydroelectric Water System and Technical Management

In 1976, Mr. George Fonyuy graduated from the School of Water Supply in Kumba and was temporarily employed by SATA. In March 1976, he began installing the hydroelectric station under the guidance of a German engineer. The system used the River Mairin to generate electricity, transmitted about three kilometers to pump water nearly 180 meters uphill, before supplying Tatum by gravity. The mission, college, and health center also benefited from electricity for lighting and domestic use. The system generated about 18 kilowatts and operated day and night under Mr. Fonyuy’s technical supervision.

Because the community could not manage the project independently at that stage, Mr. Fonyuy was appointed as a technician in charge to help prevent system failure. The Teacher Training College later employed him in October 1978. He handled reporting and supervision, while maintenance support was transferred to the late Reverend Brother George Beaman, who was in charge of technical services at the workshop in Bamenda. This arrangement helped strengthen Mr. Fonyuy’s knowledge of hydropower operations and electricity generation.

Mr. Fonyuy’s technical background included training in general mechanics, electricity, plumbing, and related practical skills. The system worked effectively from June 1976 until about 1986, when drought reduced water volume, especially during the dry season. Around 1987, the community negotiated permission to construct a dam that could store water for use during dry periods.

3.1 Technical Operations and Line Modifications

The system’s technical configuration was substantial for its time. The German-provided turbine drove the generator that produced hydroelectricity, while Mr. George Fonyuy managed daily operations and monitored the installation that powered the pumping system.

When underground transmission cables began causing frequent short circuits, Mr. Fonyuy and the technical team exhumed the cables and rerouted them as an overhead line leading to the transformer.

The electrical framework was designed to step voltage up and down over the three-kilometer distance:

A step-up transformer was positioned directly at the River Mairin site to boost the voltage for long-distance transmission.

The current traveled uphill to the "West Indies" operational area, where it passed through a step-down transformer near a local point known as "a boomer."

This step-down transformer reduced the current directly to the 380V power level required to run the heavy water-pumping machinery.

After this overhaul, the system used a four-line overhead configuration to reduce its vulnerability to underground faults.

The German-provided turbine remained a durable and important component of the original system. Mr. Fonyuy held the specialized knowledge required to stop the turbine safely, drain the water lines, and carry out mechanical repairs.

4. System Decline and Fragmented Alternatives

During the initial dam construction, the population continued to benefit: water could be pumped from morning to evening, and users could store enough water for about two days. Electricity also served the Teacher Training College, the Tatum Health Center, the Parish House, TTC staff, and Tea Estate homes in the area. However, the drought persisted until about 1994, contributing to tensions between the wider community and the institutions that continued to enjoy free electricity while also managing the project.

The situation eventually led the local Tatum community to elect their own water committee president, replacing the trained project manager, the late Pa Joseph Yurika, who had originally been trained in Santa.

As repairs became more expensive and water sources became less dependable, the system began to fail. A major engine breakdown was estimated to cost 3,800,000 Francs CFA. Support was later sought through international partners, and the German government provided a replacement gearbox that helped restore operations temporarily. In total, these installations served the community for about 27 years, showing both the value of strategic investment and the cost of delayed renewal.

When the local council became involved, Tatum had grown to about 30,000 inhabitants. The council considered the existing system too expensive and explored alternative avenues. Surveys identified a potential water source at Berlem on the way to Takui, located higher than both Tatum and Ndu. Another option considered was drawing water from Mbim at Buimbim, which could also serve parts of Nkum. However, this project was deemed too costly and might not have provided enough water for other towns in the subdivision.

The council later returned to the Berlem option and engaged a contractor to advance the project. Although some residents received water, the system still did not function as intended. The college then pursued its own independent supply from Kai, mainly for the college, mission, and Marist Brothers. Over time, this created the impression that the wider Tatum community had taken full control of the original water supply, while the mission relied on a smaller, separate source. Eventually, the health center and convents also became dissatisfied and turned to Kov Nsa for another gravity-fed supply.

Despite these fragmented efforts, the council supply, mission supply, and health center supply all remained unreliable, leaving families and institutions without the dependable water access needed for health, learning, and daily life.

5. ACOHOF’s Role and Present Need

When the Afoni Children of Hope Foundation (ACOHOF) was founded in 2008, it began exploring better options for a sustainable water supply for Tatum. By studying local sources and smaller catchments around the village, ACOHOF found that some quarters could potentially be supported through gravity-fed water, including through improvements to community-led efforts such as the Roovilan water project.

Currently, Tatum’s water-supply problem remains unresolved. The council-managed system weakened during the ongoing regional crisis, and key institutions such as the health center, mission, and school continue to seek guidance. A lasting solution requires a careful technical study, strong community coordination, and cooperation among Tatum residents, the council, and development partners. Donor support can help turn decades of local effort into a reliable and sustainable water supply for the whole community.

ACOHOF’s central dream is for Tatum to have a reliable and consistent water supply that protects health, sustains education, and supports community life.

This historical testimony was shared with ACOHOF by Mr. George Fonyuy, alongside Mr. Christopher Fondzeyuv, Mr. Francis Dzelafen, and the late Mr. Christopher Foncha of Tovndzen. Their account gives donors a clear message: the need is real, the community has long been organized, and the opportunity for lasting impact is within reach.

5.1 Technical Viability of the Mairin Site

From a preservation perspective, the existing infrastructure footprint appears to retain practical value for further technical assessment. The original underground piping may still be usable if undamaged, and the operational buildings and the German turbine remain in place. These assets should be inspected professionally before any rehabilitation decision is made.

In addition to possible electricity generation, the site may support a localized water-pumping solution for nearby residents, subject to technical feasibility, safety review, and hydrological assessment.

A future feasibility study should assess whether the site can support a safe mechanical pumping arrangement:

1.      Route clean spring water to the former generator area.

2.      Use the stronger River Mairin flow to drive the turbine mechanically.

3.      Connect the turbine to a pump that can lift the clean spring water.

4.      Deliver the pumped water to higher-elevation users if the design proves technically and safely viable.

The proposed approach is comparable to a hydraulic ram concept, in which stronger streamflow provides the force needed to lift a smaller volume of clean spring water to higher-elevation users. This option should be documented through a feasibility study before implementation.

Protecting the turbine area could also create long-term educational and development value. If rehabilitated safely, the site could serve as a practical learning space for young technicians and engineers interested in rural water systems, micro-hydropower, and locally appropriate infrastructure maintenance.

6. The Waccess Project: A Donor-Ready Pathway

Engineering Hope Through Water Access in Tatum

6.1 Vision and Rationale

The Waccess Project was designed as a humanitarian investment in health, education, dignity, and resilience. For years, Tatum struggled with unsafe water sources, causing illness, interrupted education, and financial pressure on families.

ACOHOF and Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Sweden recognized that clean energy and digital learning could not succeed until they first addressed basic survival needs. They therefore committed to creating a lasting, community-wide water solution that could unlock better health, stronger school attendance, and more secure household livelihoods in Tatum.

6.2 From Rainwater Harvesting to a Gravity-Fed System

The project was originally planned in Sweden as a rainwater-harvesting system. However, after a 2018 field mission in Tatum, the plan changed. Engineers studied water flow, consulted residents, and examined seasonal shortages and the region’s geography. They found that rainwater harvesting would not reliably provide enough water year-round. Natural mountain springs, therefore, offered a better and more centralized option.

The team moved from the original rainwater-harvesting concept to a gravity-fed pipeline system designed to carry clean spring water to the school and surrounding community. This transformed Waccess into a long-term infrastructure project requiring catchments, pipeline construction, and sustained technical coordination.

To support the revised design, ACOHOF and EWB Sweden reached out to international partners, donors, and corporate social responsibility programs to secure funding for a technically reliable response to Tatum’s long-standing water crisis.

6.3 Conflict, Disruption, and Unfinished Implementation

Just as implementation was nearing completion, the intensifying Anglophone Crisis pushed Tatum into conflict and stalled the project. Curfews, internet shutdowns, communication breakdowns, school closures, displacement, and violence forced EWB Sweden teams to withdraw, and construction was suspended.

6.4 Expected Community Impact

With renewed support, Waccess can deliver the kind of community benefits donors seek to create and measure:

Disease Reduction: Reduce waterborne diseases and improve children’s health and nutrition.

Educational Consistency: Lower school absenteeism by giving children safer and more reliable access to water.

Gender Equity: Support women and girls by reducing the hours spent daily collecting water from distant valleys.

Economic Relief: Strengthen household economies by reducing health-related treatment costs.

Infrastructure Security: Build long-term community resilience through dependable, lasting infrastructure.

Thanks to ACOHOF’s trust and EWB Sweden’s expertise, Tatum was close to a historic breakthrough. Donor partnership can help restore that momentum and move the community from partial solutions to lasting water security.

6.5 Household-Level Response Through SODIS

When large-scale construction could no longer continue because of the security situation, the partnership shifted toward household-level solutions. Families were trained in Solar Water Disinfection (SODIS), a simple method that uses sunlight to purify water in clear PET bottles during periods of restricted movement.

6.6 Legacy and Continuing Advocacy

Although the pipelines were never completed, Waccess remains a highly credible foundation for renewed investment: ACOHOF has deep local commitment, EWB Sweden has provided verified technical expertise, and the community has already demonstrated a clear demand for sustainable water infrastructure when conditions allow.

The spirit of Waccess continues through household water purification, healthier children attending school, and ongoing advocacy for Tatum’s right to clean and reliable water. With donor support, ACOHOF can move Tatum from temporary coping strategies to a sustainable water solution that protects families, supports education, strengthens resilience, and restores dignity.

7. Conclusion

Tatum’s water history shows a sustained pattern of community mobilization, technical adaptation, and determination to secure a basic public service From the first parish-supported standpipes in the Roo Kichoo around 1960 to the 18kW Mairin River hydroelectric pumping system installed in 1976, the community has repeatedly demonstrated the will and capacity to support complex water infrastructure.

Environmental pressure, governance challenges, and financial constraints weakened earlier systems, but important physical assets and technical knowledge remain part of Tatum’s development story. These assets now require professional assessment to determine how they can support a safe, cost-effective, and sustainable water solution.

ACOHOF’s work since 2008, together with the 2018 Waccess planning process supported by Engineers Without Borders Sweden, provides a credible foundation for renewed investment. Although the Anglophone Crisis interrupted implementation, household-level responses such as Solar Water Disinfection showed the community’s commitment to protecting health even under difficult conditions.

Today, Tatum’s population depends on fragmented and unreliable water sources. The opportunity is clear: align verified technical planning, local coordination, and donor financing to complete reliable water infrastructure and strengthen long-term community water security.

8. Call to Action: Turn History into Lasting Hope

Tatum’s water crisis is not the result of limited community commitment; it is an unfinished infrastructure challenge that requires strategic partnership. Existing technical knowledge, local ownership, and prior project planning provide a strong basis for renewed action.

We invite international donors, grant-making organizations, corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs, and development partners to join hands with the Afoni Children of Hope Foundation (ACOHOF) to permanently resolve Tatum’s water crisis.

Direct Impact Investment Pathways:

1.      Fund the Pipeline Network: Finance heavy-duty materials, valves, catchments, and installation support needed to finish the gravity-fed Waccess pipeline system.

2.      Assess and Revitalize the Historic Mairin Turbine Area: Support a professional feasibility review and, where viable, rehabilitation of the 1976 turbine site for safe, low-cost water pumping or related rural infrastructure learning.

3.      Strengthen Local Technical Capacity: Sponsor training for local technicians and youth so the community can operate, maintain, and protect water infrastructure over the long term.

Partner with us today. By funding this initiative, you help deliver practical infrastructure, reduce preventable waterborne illness, support school attendance, and give Tatum families the dignity of reliable clean water.

To coordinate a corporate partnership, contact the Afoni Children of Hope Foundation via email at project-partners@acohof.org or reach out directly on WhatsApp at +237 672 970 666.