Project Report
| Feb 26, 2025
Tackling water issues in Kigoma
By Janet CHAPMAN | Project Leader
Water is the key to life. Yet, as climate change transforms our world, our water supply is becoming ever scarcer. Due to droughts and poor access, finding clean and safe water to use in homes and small-scale farming is now almost impossible in much of Kigoma. Climate change means streams and ponds in the 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, improving natural springs and installing irrigation schemes.
- Almost two-thirds of all heath facilities lack regular water supplies.
- One-third of health centres and almost half of dispensaries have no safe on-site water supply.
- Over one-third of health facilities and nearly 30% of hospitals have no latrine facilities for patients.
- Nearly 38% of primary schools have no water supply on school premises – and of those that do, nearly half are not functional.
- 96% of schools lack sanitary facilities suitable or accessible to children with disabilities, 84% have no functional hand washing facility.
With your help we are working hard to address these issues as you can see in this video.
With gratitude
Janet
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Oct 29, 2024
Dying for a drink
By Benedicto Hosea | Project Leader
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These two boys from Manda Village scrape the last bit of water from a dried-up river bed. In Tanzania gastro-intestinal diseases caused by dirty drinking dirty water account for 10% of deaths of children under 5.
The river near the village is very seasonal, and villagers compete for drinking water with wild animals including elephants. TDT is investigating a rainwater harvesting system linked to tank storage and the use of solar-powered water purifiers to protect the lives of small children who are particularly vulnerable to disease.
We continue to drill low cost bore holes in village schools in Kigoma so that children no longer have to carry dirty "drinking" water from streams several miles away.
Please help us continue our mission to ensure children in Tanzania no longer die for a drink.
With gratitude
Benedicto
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Jul 2, 2024
Drilling through hard rock to reach water
By Benedicto Hosea | Project Leader
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broken drill
Using hand drilling is a hard, physical process that needs persistence, particularly if you we meet hard rock. Then it delays us by many days. We generally drill to around 33m to ensure that water is available year round, even at the end of the dry season.
At Mwitiri Primary School this meant drilling through several meters of hard rock which slowed us down and meant we continually had to repair the end of the drill bit, but for rural locations like this with very limited funds it is the only way to get to water.
And thankfully, due to your donations Mwitiri Primary School now have clean water on site, meaning they no longer need to walk long distances to fetch water. This is already improving their performance.
So thank you again for your generosity. We have many similar schools still lacking water so if you are able to contribute again it would be very much appreciated.
With gratitude
Benedicto
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rocks
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