Many villages in rural Tanzania lack access to clean water. This means that villagers are forced carry water very long distances, wasting hours every day. Sometimes they also have to drink from muddy ponds shared with animals, leading to multiple health problems, particularly for children.

DONATE to bring clean water to a village in Kigoma.

Our local representative in Kigoma, Benedicto Hosea, reports on the challenges faced by one school: “The school has 456 students. They walk 3km one way every day to get water into their 5lts cans. The students are not settled for their classes because of water challenge. The 23 teachers and their families are not comfortable to stay at the school because of water problem.” 

students at Kabagwe School Kigoma, with water collection cans

Access to clean water can therefore save lives, improve educational access, and free up time for productive labour in (for example) food production.

Benedicto and his team has successfully hand drilled over 15 boreholes and constructed simple rope pumps that can easily be repaired by the villagers. This is very important as it is estimated that up to 50% of water pumps in Tanzania are not functioning at any one time mainly due a lack of spares or local expertise.

Where geological conditions are suitable, approximately £1,500 is enough to fund a new borehole and make a radical difference to the lives within and around an entire village. The local community’s contribution is labour to drill the well and install the pump. Drilling equipment is purchased locally, and training is provided by our Local Representative’s NGO group.

Habari njema! The school pictured above has received funding from a very generous donor for a borehole. Can you help us replicate this success in more rural communities? Visit our dedicated fundraising page:
DONATE to bring clean water to a village in Kigoma. More videos available on our YouTube Playlist