Rwanda Water Project

Water and Sanitation in Rwanda

While the political climate of Rwanda has calmed and evolved since the turmoil of the 1990s, water quality and sanitation remains problematic for most rural areas. Rural water supply has faced such issues as poor cost recovery, limited private sector participation, and until recently, an absence of strong government programming. Consequently, access to adequate basic sanitation remains woefully low, with less than 10% of households meeting the standard of the Household Living Conditions Survey in 2005. District water supplies function infrequently, forcing rural inhabitants to rely on contaminated rivers and streams for their water supply. As a result, water-borne diarrhoeal diseases, such as cholera, typhoid, and salmonella, constitute the second leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Rwanda, disproportionately affecting infants and children.

Accessible and safe water allows for improved personal and domestic hygiene, and is the best method to avoid water-borne diseases and reduce child mortality rates. Though close to the equator, Rwanda is characterized by a temperate climate due to its high elevation. As a result, rainwater is abundant, and if captured and properly stored, can increase rural capacity as a valuable source of freshwater, and improve lives. However, many rural communities lack the resources or funds to establish proper rain-catcher and storage facilities, and so remain susceptible to water-borne illness.

TTC Mbuga School Water Project

Water Shortages for Students

The TTC Mbuga School is a secondary boarding school and teacher training facility located in Gasarenda, Rwanda. Host to over 570 students and staff, this school suffers from a shortage of potable water. At present, district water feeds into 2 existing cisterns, however this water supply is only functional and operating approximately 30% of the time. Consequently, students spend up to 2-3 hours per day fetching water from a nearby contaminated creek to provide the kitchen with enough water for meals. There is rarely any water left over for washing clothes, bathing, or drinking. As a result, the school suffers from a high incidence of gastro-intestinal problems. Whereas the TTC Mbuga School is well maintained and efficiently run, the lack of clean water has been identified as its single biggest obstacle.

Rwanda Water Project Objectives

World Accord has partnered with the international development organization, A Better World, to finance a 3-year water collection plan to ensure the long-term availability of potable water for the 570 students of TTC Mbuga School in Rwanda.

The Rwanda Water Project objectives include:

• Establishing a gutter system to collect rainwater
• Instalment of four 10,000 litre plastic water tanks for water storage, collecting at minimum 10 litres of water per student per day (except during the dryer months of June and July, when they will collect a little less)
• Equitable distribution of water between the boys’ and girls’ dormitories, and the kitchen
• Complementary sub-projects of the 3-year plan include upgrading the dormitories, and building a security fence around the school’s perimeter

Expected for completion in 2011, the benefits of the TTC Mbuga School’s Rwanda Water Project include:

• Eliminating the need for students to fetch water, thus increasing class time
• Improved sanitation/hygiene
• Diminished incidence of water-borne diseases
• Allowing for food preparation twice a day