Follow-up in Tanzania: Results in Kilimanjaro

At the 2008 Ground Water Expo, I described a road trip I took earlier in the year to gather information on selected water well projects in Tanzania. One leg of that journey was to visit and assess two locations in the Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania. My task was to report and make recommendations to the Roman Catholic Moshi Diocese and to a group of Americans interested in financing water improvements in the Moshi Diocese. The two projects were water wells at St. James Seminary, northeast of Moshi, and at the village of Uchira, east of Moshi. These were assessed and recommendations with budgets submitted.

In follow up, work at Uchira was completed. The Moshi-based well contractor Aquatech Ltd. was able to clean out the filled in and plowed over well using airlift development. They employed local people to dig new trenches for pipes, installed a new pump, restored a sanitary seal at the wellhead, built a structure over the well, and reconnected the water system. Water service was restored in early 2009 for a well that serves an entire village, two elementary schools, a clinic, a parish center (church), and a nun’s resident. The presentation will illustrate the steps.

The project was a modest first step in an ongoing relationship between Americans in Northeastern Ohio and the Moshi Diocese to improve water supplies. A determination was made as to what could be done, the situation was professionally assessed, competent local private sector well services were retained, and the work completed and documented. The work was completed under budget, and funds competently handled by all concerned. Next, with money nearly raised, is a new well for St. James Seminary, a secondary school. Work is expected to be completed by the time of the conference.