As in many other sub-Saharan countries, a great number of people living in Tanzania have a hard time getting drinking water. According to the requests and the needs of the villages, Terre Sans Frontières, with the help of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), allows populations to have a lasting access to this essential ressource.

The Tanzanian rural population generally walks about ten kilometers to reach a waterhole. "Most of the time, it is the women and the children who are doing this journey. Once they get there, they often have to wait several hours before getting enough water. Moreover, it happens that the water is not potable, so they get sick", explains Nicholaus Lyatuu, project manager in Tanzania for Terre Sans Frontières.

The Quebec non-governmental organization allows the villages to have an easier access to drinking water by accompanying and advising the villagers while giving them enough money to realize their project. These initiatives can be digging a hole for the well, the harnessing of springs, doing the installation of collective reservoirs and development of drinking water distribution points. The facilities are generally located near schools and health and social services centers.

Working with the population
Terre Sans Frontières always works together with the population. The villagers ask for support and participate to the project, which is done in collaboration with the experts and the local enterprises involved in this project. Take, for example, a group of Masais, a Tanzanian nomadic group, for whom Terre Sans Frontières has realized a project so they can get drinking water.

"The group was made of 15 000 Masais. They wanted to develop a waterhole in their village, which is located in the desert. Finally, while working together, we have found water in a mountain located at about 20 kilometers from the village and we have conducted the water towards this village", explains sister Céline Tremblay, project manager in East Africa for Terre Sans Frontières.

The Quebec non-governmental organization would not initiate such a project without a request made by the concerned populations since these changes have important impacts on their everyday life. This was particularly true for the Masais.

"They have started to build houses along the waterhole. Before this, they had no houses at all. Moreover, with the arrival of water in the village, the Masais have decided to build a mill to facilitate the work of the women. The Masais have also started to plant trees and do some gardening. These villagers now live a whole new life, but we would have never been able to impose these changes by ourself", explains Mrs. Tremblay.

To assure long term supply
In order that the Terre Sans Frontières efforts have an impact on the concerned populations, the non-governmental organization has to make sure that the villagers will be adequately trained in order to be able to maintain and repair the installations. "It is impossible to come in a village, realize a project and leave immediately. Every village has to be able to take care of its waterhole and, to do so, a management committee is created. Moreover, we make sure that the community is aware and we invite the villagers to participate to the success of this project", explains Mr. Lyatuu, who has been working for Terre Sans Frontières in Tanzania for 15 years now.
 
Since the project manager has been doing this job for a long time now, he is able to determine, at long term, the success of the initiatives taken to give access to drinking wate. "Our projects work really well. In some places, we have seen the population set about expansion projects for their waterhole, relying on what they have learned with us. Moreover, we have seen some villagers visit our projects’ sites in order to learn how to build a waterhole and take care of it. This is really revealing", believes Mr. Lyatuu.

Changes in the everyday life
The fact that, after many years, the Terre Sans Frontières installations for drinking water access in Tanzania are still effective has a great impact on the villagers.

"Before, getting water was a task that was taking a lot of time in the day of women and children, reminds, Nicholaus Lyatuu. Now, with waterholes in the villages, women can take more time to do economical activities. This way, the population’s quality of life, which has now access to drinking water, has increased. Moreover, children can be at school for a longer time, which leads to better grades and better chances for their future."