Many CED partners are showing interest in rainwater harvesting at present. Whilst collecting rainwater is less reliable than a good well – most parts of East Africa have a significant dry season – a tank not only lets people collect rainwater but gives them somewhere to store water from other sources during the dry season. Water stored in a clean tank remains drinkable and has none of the salts that pollute the wells in some areas.
African governments are encouraging rainwater use as municipal systems are often over-stretched and water is rationed. Rainwater usage contributes to Target 6.1 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
CED has now managed 6 training courses for people to learn to make ferrocement “pumpkin” tanks. We are keen to see new-found skills being developed and are inviting supporters to contribute to the cost of tanks since, although they are less expensive than the poorer quality plastic tanks, they nevertheless have remained unaffordable for most people. Our partners in Kagera experimented with savings groups but few people were able to save the funds required.
Having easy access to clean water means:
- Reduction in water-borne diseases with the knock-on effect that as well as losing fewer days due to illness people spend a lot less on medicines.
- Children no longer need to walk long distances for water, often leading to dropping out of school or being in danger of attack. Their mothers have a little free time to start a micro-business.
- It becomes easier to grow vegetables around the home, further contributing to health.
The cost of a tank is as follows:
We seek to support the poorest people in our local communities, often elderly widows or people with chronic illnesses, by providing them with a 1000 litre tank. These cost around £140 but if you donate £120 and Gift Aid the gift, the cost is covered.
A 5,000 litre tank for a church of school costs £420. We ask our partners to provide labour and some materials and offer them a grant of £330. Your Gift Aided donation of £280 would help a community to build a tank.
A 10,000 litre tank for a church of school costs £650. We ask our partners to provide labour and some materials and offer them a grant of £500. Your Gift Aided donation of £420 would help a community to build a tank.
If you’d like to find out more about this programme, please email ian@ced.org.uk.
Donate via PayPal online or bank transfer
Please email our treasurer at treasurer@ced.org.uk for more details.
CED is building tanks through the Church Community Mobilization Programme in Tanzania and they are not making an administration charge (though the manager really needs a new laptop). All funds therefore go to building tanks at community level, helping rural economies as well as individuals.