Mpitimbi A, Mpitimbi B and Namatuhi villages in Songea’s District Council are among of 71 villages. There are over 9000 people living in these villages with no source of clean and safe water for drinking . Potential sources of clean water include (but are not limited to) boreholes, taps, and improved traditional wells. For the residents of these villages local dug wells are the only source of water. Unfortunately, they are used for washing clothes and bathing within local wells, is a common practice that often leaves many wells contaminated. Also, the wells are exposed, affording animals the opportunity to pollute the water.

The washing of soiled clothes and bathing, along with exposure to animals, clearly compromises the effectiveness of these wells as safe sources of drinking water. This problem is further compounded in the rainy season by soil runoff that can swamp some of the wells in dirt and soil. This renders the effected wells completely unusable. Students and women fetching water are often forced to check multiple wells before finding one that has not been effected by runoff. is particularly troubling to students and women, who have more limited time due to having several responsibilities including academic studies for students and for women are also needed by the family to participate in agricultural production activities.

Use of these wells for drinking water, which is often not boiled (due to the lack of cheaply available fuels), has led to the occurrence of the water borne diseases like diarrhoea, intestinal parasites (such as worms), and bilharzias. In order to rectify the problem supporting them with 30 improved traditional wells will be more appropriate as the villages are rich in water streams/springs which is cheaper and able to support larger population than any other type of the sources of safe and clean water we are used to.

Experience relating to the water project:
PADI has been implementing this kind of water project for more than four years, beginning in 2003. The first implementation of the project was done in the Mletele ward at Liwumbu B streets from June to August 2003, where seven (7) improved local wells were built. PADI received funds from Peace Corps Tanzania under the supervision of Mr. Tim Hogan.The second implementation of the project took place from September to November 2003, where PADI received funds from professors Miller and Rulfs of the USA and constructed 4 improved local wells.

The third project implementation took place from October 2005 to December 2005, funded by Help Age International, which enabled PADI to build 8 improved local water wells. The fourth implementation took place from July –August 2007.The project funded by Run For Africa, the funding enabled us to construct 13 improved traditional water wells and 1 bore hole (supported to Mdandamo Sec. School).

The fifth project implementation took place from Nov. 2007 to Jan. 2008 where 7 improved traditional water wells were built, funded by Help Age International and the sixth water project implementation took place from Sept. 2008 to date where 34 improved traditional water wells have been constructed ( funded by Blue Planet Run Foundation-BPRF). In total over 9,200 beneficiaries are benefiting from the initiate since 2003 including 1,500 school children. From Nov 2008 –Mar.2009 three bore holes were constructed in 3 secondary schools, funded by Blue Planet Run Foundation- BPRF.

Even after the construction of 73 improved Traditional water wells and ( 4) bore holes in the district (to the community and schools) the need to expand the project to other areas especially in secondary schools and community is great (more than 5 requests from secondary schools and 7 villages have been received by our office). The people who have not yet received such assistance have been zealous in their appeals for support and are ready to contribute their efforts so as to make the project a successful.

To address the problem, PADI is asking for funding of USD. 9187.70. in order to Construct 30 improved traditional wells for Mpitimbi A,Mpitimbi B and Namatuhi Villages. which do not have taps or borehole water sources for drinking water.

The Goals and Objectives:
1. To provide clean and safe drinking water sources to over 4000 Villagers within Songea rurall council by Jan 2010.
2. To minimize distance walked by students to fetch some water from 1-3 km to 100 Meters and time from 30 -60 minutes to 10 minutes by January 2010.

Project Sustainability:.
To make the project sustainable the following actions will be done
A training session will be conducted to 10 people who are members of Well Monitoring Committee(WMC) on how to manage to perform miner repair , clean, maintain the pump and monitor any problems associated with their functioning. These people, being villagers living in the vicinity of the wells, will be on hand to maintain the wells (ten from each well 5 men and 5 women).

To make the project sustainable PADI will sensitize villagers to form Water Maintenance Fund (WMF) which will be formed through their own contribution to ensure smooth maintenance and repair of the pump.

PADI will make regular monitoring (at least twice per year to see how the wells working).
Monthly report from the water monitoring committee (WMC) representative who will be attending PADI monthly meeting will help us to know the situation of the wells in each village

Well Monitoring Committees (WMC) will be formed in each village consisting of 10 people per village assigned to properly maintain their wells functioning, managing WMF and daily monitoring of the wells.

Major activities of the project.

i) Mobilizing community to fully participate in project implementation
In mobilizing the community PADI will conduct meetings to those villages requested water support. During these meetings the community will be briefed on how the project will be conducted and other project conditions which include community contribution, formation of WMF and WMC. The meetings will help to create awareness and readiness of participating in the project implementation. In this project the village communities are required to contribute their effort over 25% of the total project costs. Contract will be signed between PADI and those receiving the support .The contract will only be signed only if they agree the conditions
ii).Surveying water sources: The work will be done by the Water technician in corroboration with villagers in order to see the sources with reliable water.

iii).Formation of Wells Monitoring Committees (WMC) which consist of 10 people.
The ten people described in the proposal will be the management committees in each village and they will be responsible in wells maintenance and repair, day to day care of the wells and managing the (WMF).

iv).Formation of Water Maintenance Fund (WMF) which will be formed by the village community. The fund will be contributed by the communities aiming at supporting them to manage to maintain and repair their wells.

v) Collection and Transportation of building materials. This activity will be done soon after receiving fund.
vi).Digging the wells and constructing: Water technician will be responsible in collaboration with project manager and project officer supported by the villagers.

v Conducting one day training to 10 WMC on how to care, maintain and repairing the wells and sanitation and hygiene skills from each village trained by Municipal water engineer.

vi) Monitoring: Project monitoring is going to be done through participatory way, where PADI project management team including water technician and project coordinator and the Water Monitoring Committees from both of the three villages will be responsible in monitoring. WMC will be responsible for day to day monitoring of the wells while Project coordinator and water technician will have regular visiting at least twice per year.

The Depth of the Improved Traditional water well is approximately 1-1½ meters and 1-1½ meters wide less or more depending on the nature of the area where the well construction is taking place. These wells need 8 bags of cement per well where 3 bags of cement are used to make 60 PCs of sand-cement blocks used in well construction, 5 bags of cement are used to construction and plastering the wells. “A method employed to improve water quality and water quantity in open wells in valleys by use of the sloping ground is known as “STREAM CAPPING or SPRING CAPPING CONSTRUCTION PROCEDURES”.In constructing the wells it involves the following;
1. Digging trenches along spring eyes and filling them with stones (boulders) to
form natural water conduits (pipes)
2. The stones are covered with a layer of clay to block easy penetration of surface
run-off (water).
3. The trenches which converge are then back filled with in situ soil
4. A cut off wall of good burnt bricks or sand-cement blocks is constructed
downstream the convergences to receive the improved water supply.
A box like space behind the wall is likewise filled with porous stones and then
sealed with clay and backfilled with soil.
5. The cut-off wall carries 3 short pipes, outlet, wash out and overflow pipes
carrying wood plug stoppers as may be necessary
6 A bucket stand is constructed below the outlet pipe
7. Access path to bucket stand is constructed
9. Improvement of water flow from the improved well is then carried out

The project will be done in one phase

Making the project owned by the communities.
1.In project implementation the village community will contribute 25% --40% of the project total costs ( usually the villagers participate in collecting sand,stones, digging wells and providing their effort during well construction). A contract to support them is only signed if the community are willing to do such contribution.

2.Wells Monitoring Committees (WMC) are formed in each village community always monitor the whole process of well construction to see whether the required procedures followed and building materials assigned at each well are well used. Monitoring of the well will be a continuous process even after completing construction. Members of the committee are coming within the villagers in the project area.
3. Water Maintenance Fund (WMF) which will be formed through their own contribution to ensure smooth maintenance and repair of the wells.

We plan to work with government experties in the project.The government officials from village to the regional level have played a big role from the beginning of the project planning and have been supporting the process buy providing us important data and informations. They will also be part of the project monitoring team where by each village chairperson and Executive Officer will be taking care of all building materials in the project areas to make sure that are all safe.

PADI will sensitize the community to plant trees arround all wells to ensure that all sources of water are well protected for longer water benefit. Also they will be sensitized to keep the wells clean and attending training workshops aiming at wells repair and maintanance.

Tanzanian Government has tried to provide water support to the community in urban areas for over 50% of the Population but for people living in remote villages the problem of missing safe and clean water is still a big problem. Due to budget constraints it is very important that different stakeholders to support water projects especially in the remotest areas.