PROJECT COMPLETED
Village: Gwikonge
District: Bukira Central
Country: Tanzania
Population (est): 300-350
GPS coordinates: S01.23225 E034.58323
Summary of Community Situation: According to Hydrating Humanity’s recent visual assessment of this village, confirmed through studies cited by the local Ministry of Water personnel, only about 50% of the homes practice improved sanitation aka pit latrines. (i.e. outhouse use). The introduction of improved water is a major motivator for improved sanitation in the developing world. A village that has no hope of access to safe water will rarely show concern for managing human waste. Water is first. This village has never had access to safe water.
Currently villagers bathe and wash clothes in the e-coli ridden stream produced by this unprotected spring. Men have been observed driving their livestock to drink from the same. Livestock usually defecate in their watering holes as a practice.
Summary of Water Solution: A sub-surface cementitious filter box constructed below grade will filter the spring water straight from the aquifer which will produce a spring well of safe clean drinking water. This is similar to current methods for collecting spring water for potable use in the US.
Summary of Sustainability Profile: There are no moving parts to break down and/or maintain in a spring well. Each community will receive direct attention and training from Hydrating Humanity’s Social Worker Staff before the project begins, during the project’s construction season and again after the project is completed. Hydrating Humanity’s goal is to reach as many people in the village as possible working through education to change the way people collect, store and use water and sequentially sanitation practices.
Summary of Related Challenges/Opportunities (hygiene, education, etc.): This area of Tanzania has approximately 50% of households using improved sanitation facilities (i.e. outhouses). Open defecation and lack of hygienic behaviors such as hand-washing with soap and safe water storage threaten the effectiveness and sustainability of safe water sources. Hydrating Humanity’s hygiene curriculum addresses all these needs and behaviors. Providing clean water alone is only around 15% effective at eliminating waterborne disease, but when we combine clean water with hygiene training that statistic rockets to 75%.
Summary of Cost Per Person: The cost of the spring well is $3500, which is $11.66 per person given a community of 300. In reality there could be significantly more than 300 drawing water from this new spring during the dry season, but we would rather understate than overstate.
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