Njiro Water Project
Goal: Provide clean water to the 1,750 people of the village of Njiro, Tanzania Estimated Cost of Project: $50K
The Problem: A borehole was funded and drilled by an Assemblies of God church 7 years ago and worked for less than a year before it broke. Currently, water is scarce in the village of Njiro and the following hardships are a result…
Women and children currently collect water from a source that’s approximate 10–14 km away. Because they spend so much time walking for water, women are not able to work and children (mainly girls) are unable to attend school. Because so many people are using the water source miles away, only two to four buckets of water per household per week (sometimes per two weeks) are allowed. To supplement, people have to use puddles and/or hand-dug holes. Diarrhea, dysentery, cholera, typhoid and other water-borne illnesses make people sick. Children are especially vulnerable and often die of these conditions. Women and children are raped early in the morning and late in the evening when fetching water. Children do not perform well academically as they are tired from walking far distances to look for water. Children do not receive a meal at school because there is no water for cooking. Women and children are attacked by wild animals while fetching water because of the village’s proximity to Mkomazi Game Park. Some of the Njiro Primary School classrooms need repair, but new bricks cannot be laid because of the lack of water. People cannot build “modern houses” and the village cannot make progress with infrastructure because there is no water to lay bricks.
The Plan: Empower Tanzania staff will take the following steps alongside government officials, well drilling companies trained by Empower Tanzania (made possible with past Water Party funds), and community members…
Engineer a new system Purchase a solar pump, solar panels, and control equipment Procure proper testing of functionality and water quality Purchase necessary tanks, pipes, and valves Administer civil work (foundation, new building, valve boxes) Engineer and build distribution points Engage with community for proper buy-in and train locals, enabling them to fix mechanical problems that should arise; establish local management committee
With funding from the Water Party, we hope to complete this project soon! Stay tuned!
