Chongqing - At the start of 2026, a clear stream surged from 500 meters underground in Addis Ababa, marking the completion of BH18— a new water-supply well that brought fresh relief to local communities. 

Watching the water flow, He Tao, manager of the Ethiopia subsidiary of Chongqing Geological and Mineral Exploration and Development Group Co., Ltd., was struck by a powerful sense of continuity. The moment echoed the drilling of the group’s first well in Ethiopia 37 years ago—a project whose water still sustains residents today.

He Tao (second row, first from right) on his first visit to Ethiopia in 2013. (Photo provided by the interviewee)

A Single Well, a Lasting Bond

The story began in 1988, when a Chongqing geological team joined China’s aid program to drill water wells in the Sodo region of Ethiopia. The scene they encountered was stark: persistent drought, villagers walking kilometers each day to collect murky river water, and water scarcity constraining local development.

Limited by funding and technology at the time, the team drilled mostly shallow wells of around 100 meters. “Every well mattered,” He recalled, piecing together accounts from veteran colleagues. With scant logistics, the team set up camps with villagers, shared filtered river water, and surveyed terrain on foot to identify drilling sites. When the first well finally produced water, villagers celebrated around the wellhead, touching the newly built walls in disbelief. They named it “1988”—a living symbol of China–Africa friendship.

A worksite shrouded in dust during drilling operations. (Photo/He Tao)

Over nearly three years, the team completed 26 such “seed wells,” providing clean water to about 300,000 people. The goodwill generated by those early efforts flowed as steadily as the water itself.

Cooperation continued in the decades that followed. From 2011 to 2015, Chongqing geologists took part in intergovernmental mineral surveys; from 2014 to 2016, they conducted engineering investigations for Ethiopia’s national sugar factory expansion projects. Each assignment extended trust and laid firmer foundations for future collaboration.

Putting Down Roots

A turning point came in 2018. Responding to the Belt and Road Initiative, Chongqing Geological and Mineral Exploration and Development Group registered a local subsidiary in Ethiopia—shifting from short-term project work to long-term, on-the-ground development

“Before, we finished a project and went home. Now our equipment, teams, and development plans are all based here,” said He, who has witnessed the transition firsthand. First arriving in Ethiopia in 2013 for a mining project, he returned in 2017 to help establish the subsidiary and took the helm as manager in 2023. Today, more than a dozen Chinese staff work alongside nearly 100 local employees, forming a model of Chinese leadership with local teams at the core.

Clear groundwater gushes from a newly completed well. (Photo/He Tao)

The depth of cooperation is measured not only by the projects completed, but also by the skills transferred. “Our goal is not just to build infrastructure, but to leave behind a technical team that stays,” He said. Through hands-on mentoring and on-the-job training, the company has cultivated a strong cohort of Ethiopian technicians. After five to six years of training, drilling crews now operate independently, with a single Chinese project manager providing coordination.

Between 2019 and 2020, the company contributed to major public-benefit projects, including facilities linked to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and Addis Ababa’s urban water supply. Many of the first trainees have since become industry leaders in their own right.

From the first shallow well in 1988 to a 500-meter-deep borehole in 2026, the work of Chongqing geologists has transformed “thirst-quenching water” into enduring “wells of friendship”—a quiet, sustained partnership rooted in trust, skills, and shared futures.