Tarime Water-for-Life Project

Location

The Anglican Diocese of Tarime is one of the newest Dioceses in the Anglican Church of Tanzania in Africa. It was inaugurated on July 4, 2010, the day when Dr Mwita Akiri was consecrated as its first Bishop. It has just over 4,000 members in 27 parishes and 47 congregations in a population of 500,000 in Tarime district. The temporary diocesan offices are located at St Luke ‘s Parish Church in Tarime. 

This largely rural Diocese is located east of Lake Victoria, and shares a border with Kenya to the north and north east. It comprises the whole geographical area of Tarime district. 

The Challenge

According to the Tarime District Council, nearly 50% of the district population lacks improved sanitation facilities, and over 70% of people still use unsafe drinking water sources.  Inadequate access to safe water and sanitation services, along with poor hygiene practices kills and harms hundreds of children every day.

Women and girls are forced to spend large parts of their day fetching water, which limits girls’ access to education. Truancy and poor academic performance in primary schools have been identified to be accelerated by water shortages. 

The Plan

The current water supplies in the district include rivers, springs, traditional water sources, ponds (human made), dams (human made), drilled wells, and rain water.

Through the Water for Life project, the Diocese of Tarime aims to improve water supplies and sanitation facilities, as well as to promote safe hygiene practices in the operational areas.

The 2018  project phase will focus on the installation of Rainwater Harvesting Systems, which are affordable, simple, and cost-effective to establish and manage. The project beneficiaries are women, school children, priests and family, and adult peasant farmers.