Istituto Oikos: Project Completion

Date: 24/02/2022

In 2020, NextEnergy Foundation partnered with Istituto Oikos to replace diesel water pumps with solar-powered water pumps in two rural villages, Ndedo and Irkiushioibor, in the Region of Manyara, Tanzania. The project was part of a wider three-year initiative called KISIMA, which sought to strengthen the WASH services in the Districts of Kiteto and Simanjiro, Manyara, Tanzania.

The project is now complete and both solar-powered water pumps are fully operational. In the Ndedo Village, almost 3,300 inhabitants are benefiting from the clean water. At the start of the project there were three boreholes in this village, only one of which was operational and from which the entire village depended for domestic and livestock demands. In the village of Irkiushioibor, there are over 5,900 beneficiaries who previously all depended upon a diesel-powered water generator which was not only very polluting, but also subject to frequent malfunctions. During the dry seasons, inhabitants from both villages were forced to walk many kilometres to collect water from unsafe sources.

In order to guarantee the full participation of the village community members with the project, local partners were involved in the construction of the hydraulic systems and installation of the solar-powered pumps. These partners collaborated with the communities to address their priorities from the project; provided them with technical training; and engaged and supported them to develop participatory management procedures for the appropriate maintenance of the water systems. All the actions were carried out to ensure equity in the water distribution and to avoid social marginalisation in access to the water, especially for women. The local partners will continue to support the village inhabitants in the operation and maintenance of the systems in the long-term.