Located in north-western Tanzania and extending to south-western Kenya, Serengeti district is popular to most for hosting the largest and longest overland migration in the world, a semi-annual occurrence that in the recent past has come to be referred to as one of the ten natural travel wonders of the world.
Maji ni Uhai (Kiswahili for Water is Life) project in Serengeti district aims to improve health and quality of life by providing water and sanitation facilities, educating communities and promoting good water and sanitation practices at all levels.
| Diarrhoeal diseases are the second most common causes of illness in Tanzania. Eye and skin diseases are also among the top illnesses, especially among the children. |
Aim
The objective of the project is to improve community health and quality of life by increasing the access to hygienic and sanitary conditions in 5 wards of the Serengeti district (Isenye, Natta, Kyambahi, Ring’wani and Kebanchabanche) directly contributing to Tanzania’s overall objective of halving the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and adequate basic sanitation services by 2015.
Achievements to Date
1. Laid strong partnership between AMREF, the District Authority and the community through mobilisation meetings from regional, district, ward to community level during which project objectives, mode of implementation and the roles of different stakeholders were clearly explained.
2. Reduction of water, hygiene and sanitation-related diseases among community members, especially women and children under five through increased access to clean, safe water supplies and reliable sanitation facilities:
3. Community capacity building and sustainability for water and sanitation infrastructures rely heavily on the availability of trained people within the communities. The project effort is then to establish effective community structures at village, ward and district level to constitute institutional frameworks for effective planning, supervision and management of water and sanitation facilities. This has been done by:
- formation and training of a project task force team (10 members) on Participatory Hygiene and Sanitation Transformation (PHAST) methodology
- training of 130 Community Own Resource Persons (CORPs) on Hygiene and Sanitation Education
- training of 13 Trainer of Trainees (TOTs) on Hygiene and Sanitation Education
- identification and training of 39 local artisans in simple construction skills to enable them to support community members in ensuring the durability and repair of water and sanitation facilities
- training of 35 Ward officials on participatory planning, cost sharing, supervision and management of water and sanitation activities
- training of 325 village government committees on techniques for behaviour change communication in health to support the CORPs thus equipping the village government leaders with the necessary skills on good and safe water use to ensure environmental health and prevent water and sanitation borne diseases
- training of 156 water user group committee members from 26 water user groups (WUGs) to manage their water points
4. Awareness and adoption of improved appropriate hygiene and sanitation practices and behaviour among target communities (at household and school level) increased through use of PHAST & PHASE approaches.
5. Ongoing documentation and advocacy on best practices for improved health and quality of life of the community through increased access to water and sanitation.
