Tanzania

Leto Village «Rombo 1», Rombo District, Kilimanjaro Region

The Rombo district is located in the east of Kilimanjaro, near the border with Kenya. There are countless villages in Rombo, one of them is Leto. Like almost everywhere else in this barren region, the inhabitants had no access to clean drinking water. They had to walk up to eight kilometers and cross the border with Kenya to supply themselves with water.

The project comprises the supply of drinking water by repairing an existing borehole (no treatment required), installing a solar power system with pump, tanks, a pipe system to the five water kiosks (distribution stations) and the construction of a corner shop.

A corner shop is basically a small store with the possibility to charge a debit card to buy water. In Tanzania, it is common practice to obtain water in this way.

As we always involve the local population in our projects, the excavation work was carried out entirely by the village community. The rest of the work was carried out in cooperation with the waterkiosk team on site.

The proceeds from the sale of water are used for maintenance and service work. To this end, we have concluded a maintenance contract with the village administration.

The function and water quality of our facilities are checked twice or three times a year. These regular checks are extremely important, as the material is subject to heavy wear and will stop functioning after just a few years without the appropriate maintenance.

This large-scale project cost around CHF 40,000 and was financed by a private donor.