×

Tanzanians thank Rotarians for supporting water project

-Daily Freeman-Journal photo by Peter Kaspari Joel Peterson, a member of Webster City Rotary, hugs Amon Noel William Mchomwa during an evening Rotary meeting Tuesday. Mchomwa, president of the Rotary Club of Same Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, thanked local Rotarians for their efforts to build water supplies in Tanzania.

Members of Webster City Rotary had two very special visitors Tuesday evening as two men from Tanzania spoke about the impact the organization has had on their country by raising money to improve water access.

The two men, Amon Noel William Mchomwa and Giliard Eneze Mkumbwa, thanked the members of the Webster City Rotary, as well as other Rotarians from across the state, for the project.

Mkumbwa, the project manager who oversaw construction of the water supplies, said a baseline survey was conducted in Tanzania to determine the needs of the communities.

Two water supplies have been completed so far; one in the Kigogo district in the fall of 2016 and the other in the Masandare district in the fall of 2017.

The goal is to build seven water supplies.

Mkumbwa said there were a lot of factors to be considered when building the water supplies, including effective project supervision, training local management and being respectful of local traditions.

“We had to understand the culture of the area so that we’re in line with those people so that they offer us their full cooperation,” he said.

Following the construction of the water supplies, an impact assessment was done.

Mkumbwa said the impact of the new water supplies has been noticeable.

One change is cutting down on problems within the home.

“Before the implementation of this project, there was social disorganization in the society,” he said. “The community experienced challenges of domestic violence. Women used to walk a long distance for over 4 kilometers to look for a bucket of water.”

By the time they got back, Mkumbwa said the women would be arguing with their husbands.

“And also, the children, when they are back from school, they didn’t get anything to eat,” he said.

Today, those problems are virtually non-existent.

“When you visit the villages now, you find peace,” he said. “The women are clean. They are healthy. The children are clean, they get meals on time.”

Conditions within schools have also improved.

“Four schools are connected to the water systems,” Mkumbwa said. “But also, school attendance has been improved, as well as the academic progress of the children.”

He said children are now able to eat at the school and now have more time to study for their classes.

Disease has also gone down. Before, due to unsanitary water, typhoid, diarrhea and vomiting were quite common.

“This time when you visit the health facilities around, we find very rare or no cases of such incidents,” Mkumbwa said. “For us, it’s a great victory.”

He praised the efforts of Rotary in helping to support the projects.

“We’re confident to tell you the resources you offeed are fruitful and impact the communities,” he said.

In fact, the water supplies have even provided business opportunities for the people impacted by them. Thanks to a new garden that was built, some women in the village have been able to make different foods and sell them to make some extra money.

Mchomwa, the club president for Rotary Club of Same Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, also praised the Rotarians for all they’ve done.

“As all of you know, for many years, Rotary is the best organization in the world,” he said. “It has implemented a very fruitful program to make the world a better place to live.”

He shared with the Rotarians and others present a phrase in Swahili which translates to “water is life.”

“I would like to congratulate you for all the hard work you have done supporting to make this happen,” Mchomwa said.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $3.46/week.

Subscribe Today