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1. Description of the Problem and action as Implemented:

Tanzania is a vast Country covering 945,000 sq. km. It has a variety of topographical features, soils and climate, all of which have a great bearing on the distribution and way of life of it's people.

It has an almost static per capita income of about US$ 100 per year. This places the country to be one of the poorest in the World. Some areas in Tanzania experience difficulties in having water for their daily life and even for gardening. This is due to the climatic situation of little rain.

The socio - economic problems are leveled to be responsible for the difficulties that the society is facing. One of health related vices' facing the society is clean water problem.

WATER PROBLEM:

Access to safe water is essential for addressing poverty and health problems. The poor most of who live in remote urban and rural areas, have limited access to clean water for domestic use, crop production and adequate sanitation. Economic benefits are achievable indirectly through improved health and time saved from the drudgery of carrying water over long distances. Existing data on the incidence of water - born, water - related and water - washed diseases indicate that these are mostly prevalent where people use contaminated water or have little water for daily use since such disease account for over half of the disease effecting the population and more than 80% of the Tanzanian population living in remote urban and rural areas.

Water solution in Makuburi Area, District of Kinondoni, Dar es Salaam Region (Tanzania)

One of the effected areas on water problem in Dar es Salaam was Makuburi Area. It has a population of approximately 35,000 people many of whom have a low income. This population was very effected with Cholera due to the shortage of water for domestic use and sanitation.

Being more concerned about this problem, the IRFF Tanzania initiated the action of supplying clean water to the Makuburi Community with aim of reducing suffering of these poor people, with a truck (tank) of 25,000 litters of water; IRFF people were carrying clean water four times a day and supply to the community. For three months starting from January 2002, the Makuburi Community lives a normal life before another imitative took place for water solution in the area
 

The IRFF action has been of great help to thousands of people, women and children who had to walk a long distance of about 10 km. to fetch for water which was not clean at all for domestic use, they were relieved of such suffering.

The cases of Cholera in Makuburi area dropped from 68 cases in February 2002 to only 3 cases in March 2002. Now, there are no Cholera cases because of sufficiency of water for domestic use.

Different people initiated gardens in which they plant vegetables and sell in order to gain money to sustain their lives.
 

3. Stakeholder participation

The IRFF has worked influencing the Kinondoni Municipal to act up on the situation of Makuburi area. As a result there have been funds provided by CARE - Tanzania to the Kinondoni Municipal in order to address the water problem by digging deep well and building water kiosks in Makuburi Area. The project is now finished being executed, and the kiosks started to operate in August, 2002.
 

4. Sustainability

Different seminars were organized in this community on water management and now, it is the responsibility of the community to run the project in order to sustain the water kiosk, the community contribute with only Tshs. 50/=  for every 20 ltrs of water.
 

5. Commitment

The IRFF is committed to relieving people from suffering of all kind. Based on this; we are strategizing to giving solution on water difficulties in Kisarawe District in Pwani Region (Tanzania) this is a rural area experiencing difficulties on water for daily use.
 

6. Originality and Innovative ideas

IRFF work on grassroots level since 1976. It was easy to detect the need of the community and in a process, to immediately solve the water problem.

This project was like an initiated idea, like a way to try. It worked very well, and is a very helpful way and pilot project to many other communities now.