Written by the head of the orphanage in Tanzania:
Water is always complicated in Africa.
When CanaDares and our Tanzanian partner, Vijaliwa Vingi Society, purchased 20 acres in 2004 on which to grow our project for vulnerable children, we had a water survey done by the government water agency. Two months and $5000 later, the same agency reported that the water which the drilling crew had found, was not potable. Saline. Unfit for human consumption.
Complicated.
Unwilling to send our children with buckets to carry water from a (questionable) artisan well, as most of the neighboring families did, we arranged to hire a delivery truck. This gave the owner of the truck a new business, as other folks began to use his service, if they could afford it.
Our project purchased 6000 litres of water once each week, to supply our family of 30. We also paid for water delivery to the local school once a month, as a community service.
In time, the government began talk, then work, on laying water lines along the road close to our plot. What a joy to have our connection hooked up in 2016. When the water trickled through, we celebrated.
Unfortunately, the water pressure didn’t improve, and the trickle couldn’t reach our water storage tanks which need to be high enough for gravity feed to all of our facilities. Unfortunately also that when the pipes were laid, our water delivery service sold their tanks, and began delivering other things…
Complicated.
Thank heavens for The Water Team! With their financial assistance, and so little fuss, we were able to arrange a suitable solution to the problem in 2017: a sunken holding tank, with a pump and connections to our gravity-fed tanks. In addition, a much needed bank of toilets for our brand new classrooms.
The children and staff on site join me in sending a great big “Asante sana!” Thank you so much!