Moa Mkinga Water Well, Tanzania
In Moa Mkinga, Tanga Region, Tanzania, the local community faces a distressing water shortage, as the combined factors of population growth, inadequate infrastructure, and climate change have decreased the available supply.
Moa is a rural, agricultural community home to more than 3,100 people, and as a result of this shortage, residents are producing fewer crops than before. They are also now limited to drinking water from unreliable sources. Many residents source their water from unprotected natural wells, springs, and watering holes. This water is unprotected, meaning that anyone who drinks it is at risk of contracting the deadly waterborne diseases that affect millions of people in this part of the world. Others collect rainwater for their water use, which provides a safer supply, but one that is all too vulnerable to periods of prolonged dry weather.
Fortunately, Embrace Relief’s partners in Tanzania have identified a solution to this crisis. A large water well, tapping into the village’s vast reserves of underground freshwater, can provide reliable, continuous service for more than 4,000 people in Moa and a neighboring village, Makamba. Building this well is a long-term investment that will have significant benefits for the people of these villages, including positive developments for public health, the local economy, education, and gender equality. However, this is also a project that requires extensive planning, construction, and funding:
The process will begin with the drilling of a borehole to the water level, which should be somewhere between 120 and 150 meters deep. Once water is found, pipes will be fitted into the borehole and secured with gravel stones, which will also help filter out harmful contaminants.
Next, workers will install a water treatment system to filter and purify the water, including a UV disinfection technology that removes all bacteria and viruses.
Once the pipes and filtration system are in place, four water towers will be constructed north, south, east and west of the borehole. These towers will connect to the water pipes in the borehole, and will store the filtered water until it is needed. One main tower will be built close to the borehole to the south, while three smaller auxiliary towers will be built to the north, east and west further away, at a distance of approximately 100-150 meters.
The main water tower will contain two tanks, each holding 3,000 liters of clean, filtered water pumped from the borehole. One of these tanks will connect to water taps where community members can obtain their water. The second tank will supply water to the smaller auxiliary towers, whose purpose is to reduce traffic and provide more access points for the community. Each of the auxiliary towers will have four water taps on either side.
Water wells are perhaps the single most important way we can invest in the people of Moa and Makamba. Clean water is fundamental to every aspect of our lives, from our health and hygiene, to our food supply, to our economic prosperity. We may take it for granted here in the U.S., where we only have to travel to our kitchens to find clean water. But each time Embrace Relief has opened one of our 800+ water wells in Africa, we see an immediate, transformative and life-changing impact on the communities we serve.
This is why the people of Moa and Makamba need our help. With your donation to the Moa Mkinga Water Well Fundraiser, you can give more than 4,000 of our friends in Tanzania the opportunity for a better life – healthier, more productive, more prosperous. Donate today and help Embrace Relief make this water well project a reality, providing these communities with a reliable, safe and accessible supply of water for years to come!
