Safe drinking water for Tanzania

Project objective

Improved access to sustainable and safe water supply for poverty-stricken, vulnerable communities and school children.

Community Water Requirements

The project covers the two communities of Wasa and Lumuli. They consist of a total of 11 villages (Usengelindete, Mahanzi, Ufyambe, Wasa, Ikungwe, Ihomasa, Ulata, Lumuli, Itengulinyi, Isupilo, and Muwimbi) where 11 elementary schools and 2 secondary schools are located.

The communities in Wasa do not have access to a reliable source of clean and safe drinking water. Children and their parents thus rely on water from small rivers, streams, and dams. The water from these sources often contains chemical runoff and is not safe for domestic use such as drinking and cooking. As a result, many children and other community members often suffer from stomach illnesses. This in turn impacts children's attendance and performance in school.

Joyce, a primary school student says, «The contaminated water we have to drink often leads to diarrhea, we come to school late or not at all due to illness. When I come to school, I can't concentrate because my stomach hurts.»

The project covered 11 villages, 1500 households, 8 health posts (2 filter kits each) and 11 schools (10 filter kits each)
• Raising awareness among community members of the importance of clean and safe water for health
• Training of water committee members on various methods of safe water use
• Distribution of water filter kits consisting of a Katadyn Rapidyn Filter Kit, 2 buckets mounted on top of each other with appropriate holes and a tap device
• Training on how to use the water filter kits
• Establishment of several student health clubs that, together with their teachers, maintain the sustainability of the water safety measures learned

Solutions

In order to improve access to clean water in the community, 1,626 Katadyn Rapidyn water filtration systems were distributed to all affected schools and households. This campaign was completed with cooperation from the Katadyn Group, Merry Water, village community leaders and the Iringa District Council. The Switzerland-based Katadyn Products Inc. donated 600 filter systems for this purpose. Merry Water, the local distribution partner of the Katadyn Group, contributed the buckets required for the filtration and storage of purified water. Sourcing the buckets from local partner increased the local value creation and led to technology as well as knowledge transfer. In cooperation with Merry Water, on-site trainings were conducted with 15 environmental health teachers well as a district environmental officer. These trainings explained the commissioning, use, cleaning and maintenance of the water filter sets. Each school was provided with 10 water treatment kits. In this first implementation phase of the project, the benefits were already evident, as children were able to focus on a full eight hour day of classes, as they can now enjoy clean and uncontaminated drinking water.

11 primary and 2 secondary schools, 8 health facilities and 1500 families at household level are now directly benefiting from this project. It is the declared goal of all partners to continuously develop the partnership on this project.

The Katadyn Rapidyn Filter Kit ceramic microfilter removes bacteria, protozoa, sediment and particles larger than 0.2 microns without the use of chemicals. However, no important minerals are removed. Depending on the water quality, thanks to the ceramic filter, easy cleaning and reuse is possible up to 20'000L. For a family of 5 people, this means that the filter will continue purifying water for over 3 years. The capacity is up to 4L/h. The size of the two buckets can be adjusted to the size of the group. It is important that the bucket has an inner diameter of at least 27cm and is made of food-safe material. Thanks to gravity, there is no need to pump or connect to a faucet. The outlet tap prevents dirty hands from contaminating the treated water. This filter meets the «Highly Protective» requirements of the WHO Household Water Treatment Standard regarding bacteria and protozoa.

About World Vision Switzerland

World Vision Switzerland is a foundation that works to enable children around the world to live in safety without hunger and poverty, without the threat of violence. The foundation also provides children with opportunities for education and hope for a selfdetermined future. As an independent partner of the international children's relief organization World Vision, World Vision Switzerland carries out stand-alone development projects and finances them with donations from Switzerland. By enabling targeted communities to become self-reliant, World Vision Switzerland supports children, families, and their environment in long-term development projects that confront poverty and injustice - regardless of ethnic origin, religion, nationality, and gender. Together with the global World Vision network, World Vision Switzerland also provides emergency
and disaster relief in crisis regions and actively promotes children's rights worldwide.