Istituto Oikos (“Oikos”) is a non-profit organisation that operates in Europe, Mozambique, Tanzania, Myanmar and Lebanon to safeguard biodiversity and to promote the widespread adoption of more sustainable lifestyles. Oikos has a vision for a future in which ecology, economy and equity come together to reconcile the needs of people and planet. Their Mission is to contribute to preserving ecosystems and supporting development through professionalism, innovation and participation.

In November 2019, Oikos began a three-year project to strengthen the WASH services in the Region of Manyara, Tanzania. The intervention aimed to guarantee and increase the equitable access and economically sustainable rural water schemes in rural villages across the Districts of Kiteto and Simanjiro. NextEnergy Foundation has replaced two diesel water pumps with solar-powered water pumps in the rural villages of Ilkishbour and Ndedo in the Kiteto District.

Project Completion February 2022: 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.