Morogoro, TZ – Water project – 31 Dec 2013

The fourth quarter of 2013 was a busy one for SAWA. The organization wrapped up programs it had been working on most of the year and started new projects it will continue to work on in 2014.

One of the organization’s largest undertakings in 2013 was the rehabilitation and expansion of water supply infrastructure in Magubike in eastern Tanzania. The project is now serving over 5,800 people in ten sub-villages. Infrastructure was completed in the third quarter of the year, so in the fourth quarter SAWA provided management support to the local water supply office. The support focused on project sustainability through financial management, leadership, and transparent reporting.

Now that the physical infrastructure and community pay structure is in place, the project has the capacity to become self-funding and self-sustaining. Managerial competency is the key to making this happen so that generations of residents in Magubike can take advantage of clean water access. Strong financial management is already producing positive signs for the project. In December the water office reported it had already collected over 6,000,000 TZS ( US$3,750 ) for future repairs and improvements. So far the community has upheld its responsibilities by making timely water payments. The water office has fulfilled responsibilities by holding community meetings.

During their December review, SAWA reported that the project has sufficient funding, leadership, accountability, and demand to be successful. The major challenge facing the project is high demand. The systems are already working at 125% of the capacity they were designed to work at. This will reduce the lifespan of equipment if the problem is not addressed.