On February 14, 2020, the Rotary Foundation approved Global Grant GG1981316: Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Village of Mhezi, Same District, Tanzania Phase II. This is the fourth global grant awarded to the Rotary Club of Same (host club sponsor, Rotary District 9211) and the Rotary Club of Ames (international club sponsor, Rotary D6000) in the area of focus Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, with each grant project being located in the Same District of Tanzania.
In 2013, The Rotary Foundation listed Tanzania as one of ten countries worldwide as priority for receiving funded in the Areas of Focus: Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution, Disease prevention and treatment, Maternal and Child Health, Basic Education and Literacy, Economic and Community Development, and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene.
Government officials, including the Same District Water Engineer, selected and prioritized villages within the district to receive water systems. The Rotary Club of Same and the Rotary Club of Ames formed a partnership set to apply for global grants and to install water systems within these selected villages.
Once a global grant was approved, the Rotary Club of Same hired local contractors to drill the wells or capture the springs, dig the trenches for the distribution system, and build the individual distribution points. Each distribution point has its own attendant to record water sales. Local water committees were formed to govern the new water system. Local water system technicians were hired and trained to keep the system operating once the system was completed. There is ongoing training for the local water committees, the system technicians and the local citizens who use the water. With completion of the fourth water system, Mhezi II, over 9,650 Tanzanians will have water in with 400 meters of their homes.
The Rotary Club of Ames has been giving technical assistance on all four projects, along with raising awareness and funds from many Rotary Clubs and Rotary District, and from individuals and organizations outside of Rotary. To date over $1,058,000 dollars has been raised for the four projects. Funds raised for Mhezi II came from 16 rotary clubs in eight different Rotary districts, six of those districts providing districts designated funds, all coming from four states and four countries.
Major Impacts:
- Families are moving to the villages as clean water is available
- School attendance has increased, and School performance is improving
- Overall community health is improving
- Economic activity is increasing as homes and businesses are being built
- Peace and harmony between families and villagers are improving as they do not have to fight over scarce resources