Go Drill International
Scott and Becky Placke, along with their four children, moved to Liwale, Tanzania in East Africa nine years ago. Living amongst the villagers opened the Placke’s eyes and expanded their understanding of what life in poverty stricken conditions is truly like. Life without clean and safe water, proper medical care, and basic hygiene practices is incredibly defeating. Listening, learning, and working with neighbors, they set upon helping improve life by starting with the most basic human need- water. They have now become fluent in Swahili, assimilated into the culture, and have started a water well drilling non-profit called “Go Drill International”. They have installed hand pumps on every well in the district that did not have one previous to their arrival . As of this year, they have officially begun drilling wells as Go Drill International after purchasing all the necessary equipment (which includes the installation of hand pumps too). All of the members of the Go Drill Team (except for Scott) are native to the region they drill wells in. This gives employment to locals and a chance for them to give back to their community in an impactful way.
Mission Statement
Go Drill International's mission is to bring clean and safe water to rural villages in the Southern sector of Tanzania, East Africa by partnering with locals and others to find solutions with long-term impacts in all areas of community development and village life.
Intern Job Information
The intern will be expected to obtain a basic understanding of Swahili to communicate with other workers. Responsibilities include helping maintain the fish farm, learning how water wells are drilled, assisting in the implementation of water wells, and creating fundraising ideas to raise more money for well drilling and other water retaining projects. The intern will be responsible for assisting in the general upkeep of the farm as well.
Go Drill International’s internship program requires that the intern have a passion for international community development in third world locations, specifically relating to the need for clean water. A degree focused toward international social work/community development/non-profit is preferred. The intern must be willing to raise his own support to cover all of their expenses. The intern must be an upper classman, work on a volunteer basis, and have a flexible eagerness to take on a variety of projects ranging from plumbing, welding, operating a tractor, helping maintain a fish farm, and drilling water wells.
Personally, I would recommend only those who have a strong desire to work long term in third world countries consider this internship. While it is fun, it is challenging. It requires adjsuting to a different culture for three months because of the degree to which you will be assimilated. The team camps out when drilling water wells. Therefore the intern should be very low maintenance in regards to sleeping conditions and food while on site.
Benefits, Opportunities, Achievements
The internship costs approximately $3,000. This includes plane tickets, expenses while in the capitol, and livng expenses while in Liwale (room and board are all provided). There is opportunity to explore Tanzania. The intern can fundraise extra money for that or use his own funds. Things to do include exotic hunts, hiking Mt. Kilamanjaro, a variety of safaris, and visiting Zanzibar. Scott Placke, the president of Go Drill, has worked in corporate America for many years. He has a wide network and is willing to assist the intern through those connections to find future employment.
Broadly speaking, I have gained a much deeper and sober understanding of what it takes to do community development work in third world countries. It takes a fluent understanding of culture, patience, time, perserverance through problems with governments and corrupt businesses, discernment to know when to help and when not to help, and an understanding that life lived for yourself is worthless. This internship has helped me to see the gaps between what people want to do and what actually gets done on the ground. Specifically, I have learned how to drill a water well, install a hand pump, drive a tractor, create an aquaponics tilapia fish farm, the basics of welding, and different approaches to helping a corrupt and crippled economy. Altogether, during this internship I had the opportunity to be a part of the completion of a filter field for a fish farm and six water wells with hand pumps.
Scott and Becky Placke, along with their four children, moved to Liwale, Tanzania in East Africa nine years ago. Living amongst the villagers opened the Placke’s eyes and expanded their understanding of what life in poverty stricken conditions is truly like. Life without clean and safe water, proper medical care, and basic hygiene practices is incredibly defeating. Listening, learning, and working with neighbors, they set upon helping improve life by starting with the most basic human need- water. They have now become fluent in Swahili, assimilated into the culture, and have started a water well drilling non-profit called “Go Drill International”. They have installed hand pumps on every well in the district that did not have one previous to their arrival . As of this year, they have officially begun drilling wells as Go Drill International after purchasing all the necessary equipment (which includes the installation of hand pumps too). All of the members of the Go Drill Team (except for Scott) are native to the region they drill wells in. This gives employment to locals and a chance for them to give back to their community in an impactful way.
Mission Statement
Go Drill International's mission is to bring clean and safe water to rural villages in the Southern sector of Tanzania, East Africa by partnering with locals and others to find solutions with long-term impacts in all areas of community development and village life.
Intern Job Information
The intern will be expected to obtain a basic understanding of Swahili to communicate with other workers. Responsibilities include helping maintain the fish farm, learning how water wells are drilled, assisting in the implementation of water wells, and creating fundraising ideas to raise more money for well drilling and other water retaining projects. The intern will be responsible for assisting in the general upkeep of the farm as well.
Go Drill International’s internship program requires that the intern have a passion for international community development in third world locations, specifically relating to the need for clean water. A degree focused toward international social work/community development/non-profit is preferred. The intern must be willing to raise his own support to cover all of their expenses. The intern must be an upper classman, work on a volunteer basis, and have a flexible eagerness to take on a variety of projects ranging from plumbing, welding, operating a tractor, helping maintain a fish farm, and drilling water wells.
Personally, I would recommend only those who have a strong desire to work long term in third world countries consider this internship. While it is fun, it is challenging. It requires adjsuting to a different culture for three months because of the degree to which you will be assimilated. The team camps out when drilling water wells. Therefore the intern should be very low maintenance in regards to sleeping conditions and food while on site.
Benefits, Opportunities, Achievements
The internship costs approximately $3,000. This includes plane tickets, expenses while in the capitol, and livng expenses while in Liwale (room and board are all provided). There is opportunity to explore Tanzania. The intern can fundraise extra money for that or use his own funds. Things to do include exotic hunts, hiking Mt. Kilamanjaro, a variety of safaris, and visiting Zanzibar. Scott Placke, the president of Go Drill, has worked in corporate America for many years. He has a wide network and is willing to assist the intern through those connections to find future employment.
Broadly speaking, I have gained a much deeper and sober understanding of what it takes to do community development work in third world countries. It takes a fluent understanding of culture, patience, time, perserverance through problems with governments and corrupt businesses, discernment to know when to help and when not to help, and an understanding that life lived for yourself is worthless. This internship has helped me to see the gaps between what people want to do and what actually gets done on the ground. Specifically, I have learned how to drill a water well, install a hand pump, drive a tractor, create an aquaponics tilapia fish farm, the basics of welding, and different approaches to helping a corrupt and crippled economy. Altogether, during this internship I had the opportunity to be a part of the completion of a filter field for a fish farm and six water wells with hand pumps.