How we organised clean water for Africa
The idea for this project did not come about by chance. A member of BadeWelten learnt that the infrastructure of the children’s village, which was already more than 10 years old, needed to be renovated. It turned out that the sanitary facilities were also in poor condition, especially the drinking water system. If you open the pipes, only rust-coloured and dirty water flows for a long time. But only if the water pump is supplied with power in the first place. Electricity is usually only available for a few hours a day. Ironically, the children’s village is within sight of Lake Victoria.
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Zuger Business Club als Projektträger
Many years ago, Kids of Africa introduced itself at a business club in Zug. Sitting in the audience was the then President of BadeWelten, a cooperative of established Swiss sanitary specialists and bathroom architects.
He thought to himself: “What about drinking water? How many children in Africa are without water? What if we donated water to the children’s village? Where clean water makes a decisive difference in the development of young people?”.
In many areas of Africa, fresh drinking water is in short supply. Although the children’s village is located directly on the shores of Lake Victoria, access to clean water is difficult.
There is no communal water supply. There is a borehole from which groundwater is pumped up and distributed to the houses and the farm. To bridge power cuts, water is pumped into large tanks and used as and when required.
But it is not only the logistical provision of water that poses a problem. The waste water from the neighbouring rose farms pollutes the soil and Lake Victoria. A measurement revealed a high level of chemical pollution.
The project
For clean drinking water, people usually use small plastic filters or boil the water. Children often drink unfiltered water. This can lead to diarrhoea and the child misses out on school, sport and food. BadeWelten therefore carried out an on-site inspection and then carried out the following work:
- 3,600 metres of water pipes installed
- 50 WC cisterns and 200 taps replaced
- 1 emergency generator installed for water pump and water filter
- 1,700 fittings installed
- 1 Katadyn water filter system for the village and 1 Katadyn water filter system for the school installed
- 1 new borehole pump installed
- 800 metres of power cable laid
- 1,200 hours of work done
- 27 flight tickets financed
- 8.5 tonnes of material shipped
The majority of the project was financed by BadeWelten and its members. There were also many private donations. Numerous suppliers and companies supplied materials free of charge or at cost price.
Aftercare
With regular maintenance, we ensure that up to 30 cubic metres of water continue to be treated every day. This means that an entire village and a school with 350 children as well as neighbours receive clean water.
But dealing with the new infrastructure also needs to be learnt. In Africa, it is unusual to drink water from the tap. It is therefore valuable and must be protected. The inhabitants of the village therefore first had to learn how to save water.
