In recent months CED has been developing its ability to deliver training in rainwater harvesting (RWH) techniques. There is a lot of interest in RWH across Africa at present, as hard-pressed water companies encourage their customers to augment their supply where they can and the international community promotes it through the Sustainable Development Goals.
We have been providing training workshops in Tanzania and Rwanda, typically of 10 days. These have focused on making ferrocement tanks (lightly reinforced) and plastered unreinforced tanks as well as making gutters by bending light steel sheet. Meanwhile CED members in London have been experimenting with ways to build small rainwater tanks on the basis that if the design is simple enough then ordinary people will be able to build their own tanks.
We have a long list of churches that would love help with obtaining tanks and we are trying to work out how best to partner with them. During Ian Rankin’s recent trip to Rwanda and Tanzania every single church group he visited wanted tanks. (Kibaha daughter churches in Tanzania, Chiangugu Diocese Rwanda, Mayange Rwanda, Kagera Diocese, Biharamulo Diocese, Kiseke Mwanza Pastorate in Tanzania). A workshop on building the tanks, with some contribution from the local partner, can be delivered for around £4,000 including air fares. This leaves the local community with two or three tanks and some guttering and with the skills needed to build further tanks independently either within the church community or commercially.