Muzarabani has a population of 111,000, most of whom are peasant farmers. The area receives very low rainfall and rivers are seasonal because of salinisation and sandy soil. The consumption of unsafe water has affected the health of the whole community through the spread of water-borne diseases such as cholera and dysentery. Women are forced to spend many hours a day fetching safe drinking water from distant sources. In many cases, girls have to walk up to 5km a day to fetch water and to go to school.

The project addresses the need for a secure and accessible water supply through the installation of water tanks. The local people, especially women, are trained in tank construction and build the tanks themselves. Brick making moulds have been purchased to enable each community to make their own bricks as well as a range of other equipment, such as wheel barrows, shovels and hand tools. The tanks are managed and maintained by each household, and training in water management is provided. There is also leadership training and training in disaster management for times of flood.

2011 Updates

Tank building materials and training are given to ten households in six villages each year. Communities are encouraged to take ownership of the project, by learning about good construction and maintenance of the water tanks. As this project has now been running for nearly ten years, numerous villages have received several hundred tanks.

Downloadable Resources:

Project Sheet