The Drastic Difference
"The stark contrast between life with clean water and the struggle for existence without it stood out the most to me," ...
Bringing Clean Water and Hope
GAiN’s experience with drilling water wells in Benin and Sudan has opened doors to provide safe, clean water in another African country – Tanzania. The alarming WHO fact, “a child dies every 20 seconds as a result of water borne disease” still includes countries like this. The under age five mortality rate for Tanzania has been improved with recent international efforts to improve water sources, but there is much work that remains. A government report in 2006 explains that the challenge in water provision is on how to improve equitable access especially in rural areas. The country is vast and the majority of the population lives in these rural areas, where water is often drawn from open sources such as ponds. The overall vision of the Tanzanian government is to make drinking water available within 400 meters of all households by 2017, but various factors have made timelines for this goal problematic in the past. The quality of open water sources is poor, and 38% of the population is not accessing water from improved water sources. People are at very high risk of contracting diseases from drinking water or even having contact with it.
Strategy for Life
New well in Malandizi village
In this backdrop of desperate need of reliable, clean water, GAiN has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Tanzania to carry out a water well drilling project. We have shipped 2 drilling rigs and have layed the foundation to bring life-transforming water to these needy people. GAiN is working with the Tanzanian Ministry of Water and Irrigation, who will conduct water quality testing and seismic studies to ensure the best locations for each well to be drilled; in most cases, 60-70 meters below the surface. The government of Tanzania is providing a 5 ton truck and a 4×4 pickup to transport supplies and the well drilling crew from village to village. GAiN has committed to fund the drilling of the water wells, is providing the management and a Tanzanian drilling crew for the project. Drilling wells has started in the Lindi region, a coastal area with one of the most dire needs for clean water.
As is the case in all countries where GAiN has water well drilling projects, once clean water is provided, the people are able to regain their health. Better health results in more productive time in the fields. The increased water supply also provides water for drip irrigation, resulting in increased field production yields. The surplus crop can be sold to local markets providing much needed income to the village, eventually leading to financial independence. The cycle of sickness, suffering and death that contaminated drinking water has caused for generations will be broken! Women and children will no longer be required to spend hours each day searching for and carrying water over extremely long distances. UN studies have found that the closer girls live to a water source, the more often they attend school. In Tanzania, when girls live within 15 minutes from a water source, their school attendance is 12 per cent higher. As part of our desire to help people holistically, GAiN will also bring ALERT medical personnel on trips to the villages to offer basic medical treatment to people.
Response-Our Commitment to Help Rejuvenate Lives
Our water well drilling schedule is based on 2 drilling rigs working to bringing hope, health, and a better future to rural Tanzanians (140 wells in two years). Will you partner with us to rejuvenate lives and demonstrate God’s love to the needy people of Tanzania?
As of January 1, 2012, 94 water wells have been drilled, transforming the lives of up to 94,000 people!
