Tap Twinning initiative in Tanzania
We take our kitchen tap for granted, but not everyone has one. Would you like to join us in our tap twinning initiative in Tanzania? Twin your tap with someone who struggles to find sufficient water every day.
CED is building rainwater tanks for some of the poorest people in Tanzania. The water security provided makes a huge difference to the quality of life of the recipients.
We are inviting supporters to fund small and large tanks. For each tank supported we will send a fridge magnet with the name of the person whose life you have enhanced, complete with the coordinates so you can find their village on Google. Sometimes it is possible to pick out your actual tank! We hope you will be able to share the picture with friends and have a conversation that may lead to further donations to allow the programme to continue indefinitely. We’re small; we talk to people! If you have questions, then contact ian@ced.org.uk. Ian organises the training workshops and has met several of the happy tank owners.
Access to clean water is fundamental to development. The vision of the programme is that whole communities will benefit from having cement tanks collecting rainwater. This will be achieved by:
- Training masons in each community to build the tanks.
- Offering small grants to householders to encourage them to install tanks.
- Offering larger grants to institutions such as schools and churches.
- Helping the least well-off to have water by providing them with a small tank free of charge.
CED have been building ferrocement tanks for over 25 years. In 2020 we started a project specifically to train tank builders and to build tanks for marginalised people. So far we have run 9 workshops, training over 160 people and have commissioned 299 tanks of various sizes, 135 of them in the past year (as of June 2025).
The project to date has been funded by some generous donations and CED has provided a substantial reserve so that tank building can continue while we wait for additional donations. In the long term the vision is that tap-twinning donations will keep pace with the cost of the grants. CED would remain responsible for administering the overall programme with our partners raising the balance of funds locally and carrying out the work. The goal is a global church to national church ongoing funding stream that will see cement tanks improving people’s lives in more and more villages.
Where are the tanks?
Here are the tanks that have been constructed so far, and more are being added all the time!
Support the project
Tanzania’s economy is growing at >5% p.a. but too many people miss out – you can help! Our partners have built 99 tanks in the past 6 months and with your help could build more.
1,000 litre tank for people with greatest needs:
£140
or £112 if you are able to Gift Aid.
5,000 litre tank for a church or school:
£270
or £216 plus Gift Aid, provides a grant, with the recipient paying the rest of the £390 total cost.
10,000 litre tank for a church or school:
£360
or £288 plus Gift Aid, provides a grant, with the recipient paying the rest of the £520 total cost.
10-day training workshop: £3,000, a proportion of which is paid for by the local partner.
If you would like to help with any of the above, please donate by pressing the button below. To receive a free fridge magnet please include a message to our treasurer where prompted. If you pay UK tax you will also have the option to Gift Aid your donation, either through PayPal Giving or through CED.
Share Tap Twinning with friends
Why not download our flyer to share this initiative with your church or those you know?