Blog Action Day 2010: Water in Tanzania

Today is Blog Action Day 2010, and thousands of bloggers all over the world are blogging to draw global attention to the vital human right to safe, clean water. It is appropriate that we -- CPAR Tanzania -- should be blogging about water today because as we speak community members of Kerekekere village are accessing borehole water for the first time ever, and we have commenced drilling of another borehole at Haruzale village.

Members of Kerekekere Water Committee training in borehole maintenance

 

First borehole water at Kerekekere

Water is a huge challenge in rural Tanzania, so we've been taking a variety of approaches to supporting communities to meet their water requirements. This includes construction of rainwater harvesting tanks in primary schools; micro-irrigation schemes for women's vegetable and fruit gardening; and most recently support for community boreholes.

Words don't do justice when describing the kinds of water sources people are forced to turn to for their daily needs of drinking, cooking, bathing, handwashing, doing dishes and washing clothes. So, here are some shots...

Fetching water for home use
 

School kids fetching drinking water

Washing dishes and bathing in Lake Victoria

We are committed to supporting community solutions to water challenges and, as long as we can continue to obtain funding (the challenge of every non-profit organization), we will keep plugging away at the local level and telling you about it on this blog.

School kids drinking rainwater

In the meantime -- don't waste water, be grateful for the luxury of drinking from the tap and please feel free to donate to CPAR Tanzania through our website at Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief .