Your Commitment 2026 Tansania
In September 2026, the Your Commitment project trip took a four-person team from the TOOLS FOR LIFE Foundation to Tanzania. At Irkisongo Secondary School in Monduli, the focus was on a very concrete goal: connecting 32 toilets to running water and equipping them with flush cisterns. What sounded like a clearly defined sanitation project became ten intensive days filled with hands-on work, personal encounters and solutions developed together.
From September 4 to 13, 2026, the team traveled to Tanzania for this year’s Your Commitment project trip. Together with partner organization Probono Schulpartnerschaften e. V., they traveled to Irkisongo Secondary School in Monduli, north of Arusha.
The group consisted of Felix Gottschlich, Project Manager at the TOOLS FOR LIFE Foundation; plumbing and heating specialist Nick Behn; Flavia Garcia, Managing Director of ROTHENBERGER Brasil; and plant mechanic Jonas Völkl from Leistritz.
Arriving at Irkisongo
With around 1,800 students and 50 teachers, Irkisongo Secondary School is one of the larger schools in the region. Many of the female students live directly on the school grounds.
For Nick Behn and Felix Gottschlich, the visit was also a return. They had already visited the school in early 2025, when they worked with the local team to implement a rainwater harvesting project. Gutters were installed and the collected water was directed into ten 5,000-liter tanks, creating an important foundation for improving the school's water supply.
In 2026, the next step was to follow: connecting the existing toilet facilities to the water supply and equipping them with flush cisterns. On site, the team first inspected the existing sanitation facilities together with the school's project coordinator, Giyam Girabi, and assessed the work ahead. Local plumbers Tall and Bakari supported the team throughout the project.
Manual Labor Instead of Heavy Machinery
The actual project work began on Monday. For six days, the team worked at the school from around 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. each day. The first sanitation building alone contained twelve toilets — and it quickly became clear that the work would be more physically demanding than initially expected.
To install the new water pipes, the walls had to be opened up both inside and outside the building. A trench approximately 20 centimeters deep was also dug along the exterior wall to accommodate the pipes leading to several water tanks.
There was no heavy machinery available. Instead, the team relied on simple tools: pickaxes, shovels, hammers and chisels. Much of the work was therefore done by hand, meter by meter.
The water supply itself presented another challenge. During the project, a tower approximately four meters high was constructed for one of the water tanks. Raising the tank was necessary to create sufficient water pressure for the flush cisterns to operate reliably.
32 Toilets, Four Buildings
Over the following days, the team worked its way through the different sanitation buildings. Together with Tall and Bakari, they equipped a total of 32 toilets in four buildings with flush cisterns and connected them to running water.
The project was about much more than laying pipes and installing cisterns. The different structural conditions on site required close coordination and practical solutions. The local plumbers' expertise and the experience of the German team complemented each other perfectly.
Problems were discussed together, solutions developed and the next steps coordinated as a team. What had looked like a clearly defined sanitation project on paper became a collaborative effort shaped by the realities on the ground.
Sharing Knowledge and Opening Up Perspectives
The project trip was not limited to hands-on work. There was also an opportunity to engage directly with the students.
On September 10, Flavia Garcia gave a presentation to around 50 female students. The focus was on creating a CV and preparing for job interviews. Alongside practical advice, Flavia shared personal stories from her own life and professional career.
Rather than being a traditional presentation, the session developed into an open exchange about career paths, job applications and future opportunities. The students had the chance to ask questions and gain insights into the international world of work.
A Meaningful Finish
On the final working day, a joint closing event was held with students, teachers and the school's principal. After several intensive days of work, it was a special moment for everyone involved.
The students and teaching staff thanked the team for their commitment and the work they had completed. For the visitors, it was also an opportunity to look back on what had been achieved in just a few days.
What had started as a construction site had become functioning sanitation facilities — providing greater everyday safety and comfort for the students of Irkisongo Secondary School.
Tools That Stay Behind
The project did not end with the team's departure. On the final working day, the tools brought from Germany were handed over to the local plumbers Tall and Bakari and to the school guard, John, who had also provided valuable support during the project.
Leaving the tools behind was an important part of the project. They will enable the school and local tradespeople to carry out future repairs and additional work independently.
In this way, the project leaves behind more than newly functioning sanitation facilities. It also strengthens the school's ability to maintain and develop them in the future.
Working Together to Make a Difference
On September 13, it was time to say goodbye. After ten intensive days, the four team members began their journey home.
They left Tanzania with countless hours of travel, many kilometers on the road, physically demanding working days, new friendships and countless impressions.
Above all, however, they left with the feeling that they had achieved something tangible together:
32 toilets in four buildings, connected to running water and equipped with flush cisterns.
The 2026 Your Commitment project trip once again demonstrated what can be achieved when technical expertise, hands-on commitment and close cooperation with local partners come together.