Water is the key to life. Yet, as climate change transforms our world,
our water supply is becoming ever scarcer.
Finding clean and safe water to use in homes and small-scale farming is now almost impossible in the communities of Zeze and Kasulu, due to droughts and poor access.
Climate change means that streams and ponds in Kigoma region are drying out, leading to desertification, and greater challenges for finding water. Sometimes, the only source of water for a community is a dirty pond, shared with animals.
For people whose access to water is already precarious, this is life threatening. Lack of water can lead to failed crops, and widespread hunger. Villages such as Zeze – and throughout Tanzania – are facing critical food security.
To help communities access clean and safe water, we carry out projects, such as hand drilling, installing rope pumps, and an irrigation scheme.
We are bringing the key to life back to western Tanzania!
Hand-drilling and Rope Pumps
We have discovered, adapted and developed a manual mechanical drilling of wells that works with the combination of a locally made drilling set, water and human strength!
This water pumping solution works in areas with no electricity to run motor pumps, and pumps water up from 60 metres.
The rope pump is manufactured by welders in our workshop, and we drill the new borehole by hand. This is a huge undertaking as it can take up to a week to hand-drill a borehole, depending on the ground’s geology.
Since 2016, we have installed more than 50 water pumps, reaching more than 100,000 people!
The new pumps have cut down on walking hours to collect water by 90 per cent. Students and families are no longer using contaminated water from streams and ponds, which in turn reduces waterborne diseases, especially diarrhoea. School attendance has improved, especially for girls, who are relied on to fetch the water. Sanitation and hygiene have also improved.
Almachius is the Kasulu District Development Community Officer and understands how much of a challenge water is for the Kasulu community.
He visited a number of water projects where MVG has drilled and installed pumps for community use, and told the community, “We have a big problem with water and deforestation, but we are lucky that we have youth who have made an important revolution in the water sector with their hand drilled bore holes – as no doubt all of you can see! I am very impressed they have now set up a tree nursery and are supporting their community to protect the environment. I appreciate, the work they have done. We should all participate to protect and develop the scheme which they have established, for ourselves and our children”.
Irrigation Scheme
Access to water also plays an important part in small scale agriculture.
With funding from Corteva we constructed an irrigation scheme which will means that ten acres will be able to be farmed year-round, doubling the yield and helping lift 80 families out of poverty. We will expand this when we get further funds.
Empowering Women & Girls
Over the last decade we have trained 1332 local women on how to start a small business and given out 1064 small loans to women’s groups to enable them to start them, transforming lives.
Petronia used her loan to start selling palm oil in the market. “When my 8 month old baby started excreting blood, I was able to use the money from my business to take her to the doctor for treatment”.
Better access to water also empowers our women and girls, taking us another step closer to gender equality. It is often the duty of the women and girls to collect water for the household – even if that means a five kilometre walk to the nearest source.
These long walks can take many hours out of their day – hours that could have been spent studying in school or earning an income for the family.
These walks can often be dangerous, with women and young girls at risk of drowning in ponds and streams, or sexual assault by men.
How can we expect to achieve an equal society when we are still faced with such fundamental challenges?
We desperately want to change this – to ensure everyone has access to water, and to empower our women and girls.
Every pound of your donation will go directly to our projects, and every donation will truly be appreciated! You can donate directly to our water projects directly from our website using the button below…
