Water Project for Maasai Villages in Tanzania

I started working on the project development proposal today hoping to get technical assistance to relieve the water supply issue in Lengijave (near Arusah, Tanzania). Besides heavy financial pressure, the Maasai women also have to cope with the water shortage in the dry season which runs from May to November. Everyday the women walk several miles with their buckets and wait in a queue of 200 women to get water from a dripping tap. This process often takes hours, and they walk home in the early morning. This not only deprives them of sleep, but it also prevents them from growing vegatables in the winter to supplement their family income.

Since there is no funding for the project, the goal is to develop a low-cost solution to store the rainfall in the wet season for use in the dry season. While I was in Tanzania, I began writing to friends in Taiwan and the US asking for tips on how to build a water filtering system so we can keep the water fresh throughout the dry season. The email was forwarded many times until it reached Allan in Australia who is a water development expert.

I was elated to hear from Allan and to know there is a chance of getting some help from the experts. The plan is to present the proposal to his church and see if they would fund a side trip for him to visit the villages in Tanzania when he goes to Kenya next year.

At the same time, I have been working with my contact in Tanzania to collect information needed for the proposal. He told me that there was a big fight early this week in the villages over the water. I am eager to find out more about what is happening there.