Maji ni Uhai (Water is Life)

Overview

Maji ni Uhai is a program focused on increasing access to safe drinking water for our beneficiaries and their families. We provide water tanks and the knowledge on how to collect and use water effectively.

The Foundations

Access to safe, potable water is a significant issue in the Monduli district. Women are often responsible for collecting water for their families, but the journey to the nearest earth dam reservoirs takes many hours every day. Additionally, this water is seldom filtered and can pose various dangerous health risks. The goal of this program is to combat these issues that threaten water security and pose health risks to the community and help increase access to safe water supplies.

Our Impact

In 2020, WAEV began focusing on finding a more convenient and reliable source of clean water that could solve many of the current issues around water security. We determined water tanks to be a cost efficient and effective solution. So far, 225 women and their families have received 2000 liter polyethylene water tanks to collect rainwater. These women have been able to collect water both for drinking, as well as for tasks such as laundry and dishwashing. Any resulting grey water is also repurposed for watering trees and irrigating vegetable gardens.

Due to the significant cost of each tank, we are currently unable to provide every woman and her family with one. However, we have introduced the tanks as rewards and a motivational strategy for women who have been exceptionally hard-working in our Tree Planting program. The introduction of these tanks has brought WAEV much more exposure in the surrounding areas and are a motivating factor that is driving more and more women to participate in WAEV’s programs!

“I’m so much thankful that I now have a water tank that WAEV has rewarded me… owning a tank has been my life’s dream that I didn’t know when I was going to achieve!”

-Leya Loishiye