Construction of seven 20,000 litre and one 40,000 litre rainwater cistern in the Kagera region - Chonyonyo, Tanzania

In the district of Karagwe, in the north-western highland of Tanzania, west of Lake Victoria there are only a few natural sources of water. The residents obtain their water from small, highly polluted waterholes and have to walk and carry these over long distances, multiple times a day.

An effective local solution to improve the water supply is the construction of rainwater cisterns. With these the rainwater can be collected during the rainy season and be used during the dry season. A cistern with a volume of 20,000 litres can supply enough water during the dry season to support a typical family living far away from any housing area.

Since 2008, Mayuno and IngoG have constructed 31 cisterns in the region which have supplied over 1,000 people with water. Beyond this, seven local skilled workers have been trained in the construction and maintenance of the water tanks and extensive water analyses have been conducted.

The target group of this project are the approx. 34 families who mainly live between their plantations in groups of four families. One family is comprised of an average of six to eight individuals with an annual income of approx. 240€. The project especially benefits the children and women, since these are traditionally responsible for fetching water. Because the water generally needs to be carried over long distances on foot, many children do not have the time to attend school. Additionally, adequate hygiene is impossible which often leads to illness.
Also included in the target group are the future students of a girl’s school in the village Chonyonyo. The school, with its integrated boarding facilities, is currently being built. To supply the washhouse of the girl’s school, a 40,000 litre cistern is being built.
The construction uses a technology for closed cisterns, which has successfully proven itself in past phases of the project. Also, a further development of the roof construction with a metal shuttering formwork is being implemented, which was developed based on past experience. Due to previous projects, comprehensive training, as well as a steadily growing wealth of experience, the local people are capable of assuming responsibility for implementing and coordinating the construction efforts. To support the project, the target group contributes by providing preliminary planning and building materials.

The background to the project