On a day when a gentle drizzle softly fell,
villagers gathered in one place with faces full of excitement.
The Completion and Handover Ceremony of the Drinking Water Facility
Last December, a completion and handover ceremony for drinking water facilities was held in Mtama District, Tanzania.
Ribbon-cutting ceremony commemorating the handover of the water facilities
With the support of the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA),
Heart to Heart Foundation is implementing a Community-Based Comprehensive WASH Project (2024–2026) in Mtama District, Tanzania.
Village leader expressing gratitude to the participants
Local government officials attended the ceremony,
and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the handover of the water facilities was signed
between Heart to Heart Foundation and the Mtama District local government.
Village residents welcomed the occasion with joyful songs and dances.
A resident smiling while using the drinking water facility
Through this handover ceremony, a total of five boreholes (groundwater wells) were officially transferred to the local communities.
Heart to Heart Foundation installed drinking water facilities at health centers, ensuring easy access for community members.
This has laid the foundation for more hygienic maternal and newborn healthcare services at these facilities.
In addition, some of the facilities were directly connected to Tanzania’s national water supply network (RUWASA),
enabling more sustainable and wider access to clean water.
[A Long-Awaited Gift, Clean Water]
The construction of wells—long cherished by the villagers—began in June of last year.
Water facilities construction site in Tanzania
For a long time,
residents had no choice but to rely on contaminated water for their daily lives.
Daily life of residents using polluted water
Around the world, 4,000 people die every day,
including approximately 1,000 children under the age of five, due to contaminated water and poor sanitation.
Mtama District in Tanzania’s Lindi Region, where this project is being implemented, was no exception.
Every year, thousands of people suffer from diarrhea and other waterborne diseases.
Children walking to fetch water
Mothers set out to find water for their families,
and children, instead of going to school, carried heavy water containers for several kilometers from early morning.
Yet even the water they struggled to obtain was often contaminated,
causing many residents to suffer from dehydration due to diarrhea or waterborne diseases such as cholera.
Clean water was the longest-awaited hope of the community.
[A Well of Hope Built Together]
To protect children’s right to education, reduce the heavy burden of household labor on women,
and ultimately decrease waterborne diseases,
Heart to Heart Foundation moved forward with the construction of drinking water facilities.
Construction site of the water facilities
At the construction site, drilling equipment operated powerfully,
and under the scorching sun, everyone worked together with determination.
Clean water gushing from the well
As clear streams of water burst forth from the well,
the sweat shed during construction seemed to wash away the community’s long-standing worries.
Stakeholders discussing together
For the operation and maintenance of the completed facilities,
a Water Point Committee (WPC)—composed of members from local health facility management committees—actively participates,
ensuring that the community itself takes responsibility for protecting and sustaining the facilities.
This goes beyond simply providing clean water;
it represents sustainable water management and community self-reliance.
[The Power of Water That Transforms Lives]
This well is more than just infrastructure.
It is a symbol of hope, created and sustained by the community itself.
Now that the wells are complete,
hundreds of residents each day can access clean and safe water close to their homes.
This helps prevent waterborne diseases,
increase children’s school attendance,
and significantly reduce the time women and children spend fetching water.
Children collecting water from the newly supported facilities
When small efforts come together, they can transform the health and future of an entire community.
Heart to Heart Foundation will continue to stand with communities
for clean water, improved sanitation, and a sustainable tomorrow.
<Heart to Heart Foundation, with funding from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA),
is implementing a Community-Participatory Intergrated WASH Improvement Project in Mtama District, Tanzania.>
