Rehabilitation Project
This project is a part of our shared program with Western Water and Sanitation Forum (WEWASAFO). Our team is pleased to directly share the below report (edited for clarity, as needed).
Welcome to the Community
Most men in Shitungu Community are involved in farming. They grow maize, vegetables, bananas, sweet potatoes and cassava among many other crops. They also keep cattle, sheep and goats. Brick-making and charcoal-burning are also other activities carried out in this community. A few people also have small retail shops from where other members of the community buy their household items.
The majority of the members of the community profess Islam. During lunchtime, they converge at the mosques for prayers.
Men are the heads of household, while women do most of the household chores. The women wake up early in the morning to prepare the children for school before starting on other duties like collecting firewood, washing clothes, sweeping, farming and fetching water from the unprotected spring.
Water Situation
It takes them about 30 minutes to get to Suleiman Spring. On some occasions, there are so many people at the spring that they spend hours at the spring fetching water before even walking back to their homes. In this community, fetching water is predominantly a woman's affair.
When it's a woman's turn to fetch water, she must first use a bowl to clear off debris floating on the surface. Once the water appears clearer, she uses a small bowl or mug to collect enough water to fill her jerrycan. She carries the full jerrycan back home on top of her head.
Drinking water is often poured into a separate covered clay pot, since it is believed to keep the water cooler.
Suleiman Spring is open to many different sources of contamination. Both human and animal activity contributes to dirtying the water; animals drink straight from the spring and local women do laundry in its water. There was feces, both human and animal, in the vicinity.
After drinking this spring water, community members complain of stomachaches, diarrhea, and confirmed cases of typhoid. Consequentially, a lot of money is spent on medical treatment.
62-year-old farmer Vincent Tsinganga was elated when he heard his community has been approved for a project. He said, "God is good that development partner has come here to ensure at least we have clean water within our reach. This is unbelievable. I have suffered for such a long time from typhoid, diarrhea and stomachache. I spent quite a lot of money on medication and this have made me poor."
Sanitation Situation
Less than half of households have their own pit latrine. Most of these are made of wooden floors and mud walls. Others are made of old sacks or dry banana leaves. Those who do not have their own latrine either share with a neighbor or relieve themselves out in the open.
There are no hand-washing stations, nor are there many good dish racks or clotheslines to dry belongings.
Plans: Hygiene and Sanitation Training
Community members will attend hygiene and sanitation training for at least two days. This training will ensure participants are no longer ignorant about healthy practices and their importance. The facilitator plans to use PHAST (Participatory Hygiene and Sanitation Transformation), CLTS (Community-Led Total Sanitation), ABCD (Asset-Based Community Development), group discussions, handouts, and demonstrations at the spring. One of the most important topics we plan to cover is open defecation and its dangers, as well as having and using a pit latrine.
Training will also result in the formation of a committee that will oversee operations and maintenance at the spring. They will enforce proper behavior around the spring and delegate tasks that will help preserve the site, such as building a fence and digging proper drainage.
Plans: Sanitation Platforms
On the final day of training, participants will select five families that should benefit from new latrines.
Training will also inform the community and selected families on what they need to contribute to make this project a success. They must mobilize locally available materials, such as bricks, clean sand, hardcore, and ballast. The five families must prepare by sinking a pit for the sanitation platforms to be placed over. All community members must work together to make sure that accommodations and food are always provided for the work teams.
Plans: Spring Protection
Fetching water is predominantly a female role, done by both women and young girls. Protecting the spring and offering training and support will therefore help empower the female members of the community by giving them more time and efforts to engage and invest in income-generating activities.
In addition, protecting the spring will ensure that the water is safe, adequate and secure. Construction will keep surface runoff and other contaminants out of the water.
Mr. Tsinganga is interested in constructing a fish pond after the spring is protected, using the spillover excess to fill the pond. This addition is likely to motivate other community members to venture into fish farming, which will yield a good source of income and protein for the community.
