Sustainable Village Water Systems Program for Tanzania
Loading...
Date
2019-04
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Ohio State University. Office of Outreach and Engagement
Abstract
The Sustainable Village Water Systems (SVWS) program developed by the Global Water Institute (GWI) is designed to address the underlying and interrelated issues that contribute to extreme poverty: combining solar-powered water infrastructure with improved sanitation and hygiene at schools and clinics and support for improved agricultural productivity and nutrition – employing a systems approach to rural development.
Description
The Sustainable Village Water Systems (SVWS) program developed by the Global Water Institute (GWI) is designed to address the underlying and interrelated issues that contribute to extreme poverty: combining solar-powered water infrastructure with improved sanitation and hygiene at schools and clinics and support for improved agricultural productivity and nutrition – employing a systems approach to rural development. A critical component of the SVWS program is to work with the communities to provide people with tools to sustain themselves by supporting women's entrepreneurship; strengthening local supply chains; providing business and technical training;and training in sanitation and hygiene and improved agricultural practices. The model integrates partners with proven experience and expertise to carry-out components of the system. Our partners include WorldServe International (fundraising), Majitech (engineering and community engagement), WaterAid (sanitation and hygiene), WaterBoys (fundraising), BM Farm Africa (improved agricultural practices), and Trees for the Future (training in developing forest gardens). Importantly, the SVWS program is based on key long-term outcome measures to ensure sustainability including: number operational days per year at the desired flow rate; incidence of water-related illness; number of children able to attend school in lieu of securing water; and annual yield of high-nutrition crops. Currently, GWI has two complete SVWS pilot villages underway, and 36 villages funded to receive solar powered wells and entrepreneurship training. WaterAid is raising funds to layer the 36 villages with sanitation and hygiene and improved agricultural training.
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Marty Kress, executive director, Global Water Institute, kress.83@osu.edu (Corresponding Author)
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Marty Kress, executive director, Global Water Institute, kress.83@osu.edu (Corresponding Author)
Keywords
water, sustainble, community
Citation
Engaged Scholars, v. 7 (2019).