22. Down the well

The well has been reinforced right down to the water and Ibrahim’s workers are emptying the well of sand. This is the most delicate operation of the whole process, because without a special technique, the sand would rise as it was removed, creating vacuum cavities that would remove the support at the bottom of the well, risking the collapse of the whole lower part that has not been secured yet.

Today I asked Ibrahim if I could go down with him inside the well to understand the state of the work better, and also to appreciate the working conditions of those who are digging underground.
They are 30 meters under but it doesn’t seem like it, both the bottom of the well and the opening above seem close to each other.

Yet it is the height of a four-story apartment building.

It is very hot down there, I only stayed there for 10 minutes but I have never sweated like that before. Ibrahim was in the water below me and was fine. But you breathe badly anyway, the air is warm and close, stagnant and heavy with humidity.

Ibrahim has built more than 350 wells, many of them for European and American organizations and he said to me: “By God you are the first white man I have seen going down a well.
It is your religion that allows you to do this, because you trust your Muslim brothers who have your life in their hands.”

To me, it seemed completely natural and I didn’t have a moment of apprehension, but I was flattered by his words.