Drinking Water for Africa

Successful collaboration since 2009

Since the launch of the joint campaign "Drinking Cups for Drinking Water" in August 2009, much has been achieved. Five drinking water systems were built and put into operation in Kenya, another is currently under construction. In Ivory Coast, a total of 70 ground water wells in the two regions Man and N'zi Comoé were repaired and have been reliably providing villagers with water since 2010.

Project sites in Kenya

The donations have been used to install and put into operation water filter systems in five schools and communities in Kenya. The completed projects include the Watoto Wenye Nguvu Water Kiosk in Thika and the Maragua Ridge Health Centre Water Kiosk north of Nairobi. In addition, projects were implemented in the Migingo School near Kisumu and the school of Moi Sindo, near Lake Victoria. The fifth project site is situated in the village Gitune, approx. 85 km north-east of Nairobi. Local technicians have been trained to accompany the project engineering and maintenance of the facilities. They are responsible for the smooth operation and maintenance of the equipment. This training component contributes to the long-term success of the drinking water project and promotes self-help.

At the four sites in Thika, Maragua, Sindo and Kisumu, a reliable supply of clean water for a total of 3,500 persons is ensured. The plant in the village of Gitune offers water to around 2,500 residents since the beginning of 2014. Additionally, a new plant supplies more than 400 school children of the Akadoot Primary School in the village of Malakisi in the Teso North District with water and sanitary facilities since April 2015, which also provides water for approx. 1,000 residents.

Village wells in Ivory Coast

In 2010, the first project activities were carried out in the regions of Man and N'zi Comoé: the villages in need of pump repairs were selected in close cooperation with the local project partners. By the end of 2012, 24 wells were repaired and until the summer of 2013, another 20 wells were put into operation. As 26 wells in further 18 villages were repaired in 2014, the residents of overall 44 villages now have access to fresh groundwater. Thanks to the help of the H96 fans, more than 24,000 Ivorians are currently supplied with fresh water and can thus hope for a better future.

The residents of all villages have been actively involved in the repair of the wells. They have established water committees involving women and men with specific functions and areas of responsibility and thus managethe water distribution in the communities themselves. Some technicians, who were trained in the technical maintenance of the pumps at the beginning of the project, are responsible for the maintenance of the wells. Others take care of hygiene education in the village, and others again are in charge of the financial management. The inhabitants of the villages have agreed that each pump user pays a small fee per year, in order to cover future maintenance costs of the installed facilities.

Supoort by SIKA

Since 2008, the GNF realized by the generous support of Sika AG various drinking water projects in Africa. In Burundi, approx. 5,000 people, especially children, have now access to clean drinking water in the villages Kagwema and Rukaramu north-west of Burundi's capital Bujumbura. In Kenya, the 30,000 residents of the village Kandara, about 30 km north of the town of Thika, have access to clean water since the beginning of 2014. In addition to these completed projects four more plants are currently being built in the Ivory Coast.

Outlook

Our project “Cups for Drinking Water”, launched in 2009 in cooperation with TUI, the football club Hannover 96, and the fan club “Rote Kurve”, had to be stopped in the end of the last season, because the deposit cups were subject to security issues. Persistent persuading efforts by GNF made the club’s administration change their mind. From the 22nd August 2015, the project will resume with a revised cup-design.

Background

Africa''s problems are manifold: disease, famine, drought, political unrest and corruption. Worldwide over 900 million people have no access to clean drinking water. Inadequate drinking water supply, especially in developing countries such as Kenya, is the main cause of many diseases and deaths. Also, the Ivory Coast is struggling with these problems. In many regions of the country especially access to clean drinking water is not self-evident and water-related diseases such as cholera and diarrhea are common. According to the WHO / UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) in 2012, 55 % of households in rural areas of Kenya are supplied with water and have access to sanitation, in the Ivory Coast, the rate amounted to was 68 %.

Project areas in the Ivory Coast / Cote d´Ivoire

Map of Cote d`Ivoire, Author: DD Creative Commons (Internet) 

Drinking Water for Africa

Project Start:

Project Countries:

Sponsors:

Project Partners:

August 2009

Kenya, Cote d´Ivoire

Sika AG, German Football Club Hannover 96 and Fan Club „Rote Kurve" (until 2014, again off August 2015), TUI (until 2014), TUIfly Marathon (until 2014), eichels: Event (until 2014)

Pureflow, OSIENALA (Friends of Lake Victoria), Habitat for Humanity, SOLWODI Germany e.V., eddr (until 2012)