Singida integrated rural development projec

Edward Lungwa (7227509)

Peter H. Killewo (7227503)

Pontain Ruta (7227506)

English

Loughborough University Institutional Repository

E   RURAL WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION: KILLEWO, RUTA and LUNGWA17621st WEDC Conference Kampala, Uganda, 1995Singida integrated rural development projectPeter H. Killewo, Pontain Ruta and Edward Lungwa, TanzaniaSUSTAINABILITY OF WATER AND SANITATION SYSTEMSSINGIDA IS A semi-arid region located in the central partof Tanzania. It receives a mean annual rainfall of about700mm. The population of this region is about 940,000people. The region lacks access to potable water for therural community which accounts for 90% of total popu-lation. It is estimated that only 40% of the rural popula-tion has access to improved water supply. In some areaswomen have to walk up to ten kilometres daily in searchfor domestic water needs. The quality of water obtainedfrom these sources is very poor and attributes to thedominance of water borne and water related diseases.Environmental degradation is quite severe. In the morepopulated areas soil erosion is a common problem.Overgrazing, deforestation and poor land managementpractices are rampant in this region.The Singida Integrated Rural Development Project(SIRDP) started in October 1984 in an effort to address thefundamental problems facing the rural community inSingida region. The project is being implemented byTanganyika Christian Refugee Service (TCRS), a nongovernmental organization which is operated by theLutheran World Federation - (LWF) Commission of WorldService. Although the basic function of TCRS is to pro-vide assistance to refugees who have found asylum inTanzania, it is also involved in a number of programmesfor development work as for the case of SIRDP. Theproject is mainly funded by Danchurch Aid throughLWF. The main components of the project include watersupply environmental health, agriculture, natural re-sources management and community development. Thispaper however highlights mainly the water and sanita-tion components of the project.Objectives• raising villagers awareness to enable them to partici-pate fully in development activities and providingthem with a stimulus to pursue such activities on selfreliant basis.improving the quantity, accessibility andsafety of village water supplies.• arousing villagers realization of the health benefitsachieved through the use of improved water sup-plies, latrines, proper sanitation and hygiene.• aising community awareness on the severe  conse-quences of environmental degradation and assistingthem in reversing this trend.ApproachIn order to ensure proper implementation andsustainability, integration between project componentsand among government departments is emphasized.Technical staff have been seconded to the project from allinvolved departments. Community awareness raisingand mobilization involves the community developmentstaff working in close collaboration with the villagegovernments and field extension staff.The project has a Regional Steering Committee com-prising of the relevant heads of departments. The com-mittee is the coordination mechanism for the project. Thedistricts have consultation committees which performthe same function at district level. The project is imple-mented in a group of villages located in the same localityor “village clusters”. Village selection is based on de-mand - driven approach. Requests for water supply &sanitation assistance are channeled through respectiveWard Development Committees & District Councils.Final selection however, is made during a joint meetingbetween the Project and District officials. Apart fromfacilitating easy logistics, this approach ensures highercost effectiveness. Base line data collection is done by asocial survey team before starting implementation. Thebeneficiaries are fully involved in all stages of projectplanning, implementation, operation and maintenancein order to assure a sustainable development. This con-forms with the National Water Policy which emphasizeson sustainability of projects by full user involvement.For the project to create impact  on the community, fullinvolvement in the course of implementing the projecthas been given a top priority.The project gives first priority to development ofshallow wells. Where shallow wells are not feasible,medium depth bore holes are drilled. In both cases handpumps are installed.  As for sanitation component, theproject has opted development of improved pit latrineswith unreinforced dome cover slabs for house holds andventilated pit latrines for institutions.The mainconsideration in making the choice of technology issustainability.The project avoids the use of a wide variety of hard-ware in order of facilitate smooth operation and mainte-nance. Two types of hand pumps have been adopted inthe project namely NIRA AF 85 for shallow wells andAFRIDEV for medium depth boreholes. Both of thesepumps are locally manufactured and conform to VLOM.Water componentAfter a village has been selected, a written ContractAgreement is signed between the Project and the VillageE   RURAL WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION: KILLEWO, RUTA and LUNGWA177maintain village water funds, request for Water Rightand to buy basic spanners for maintenance of the pumps.All completed wells are monitored each month so as tokeep record of general problems affecting them espe-cially on the pumps. This helps in advising villagers onwhat spares should be stocked in their stores for simplemaintenance. Required information is filled in specialforms by village pump and supervisor goes around tocollect them at the end of each month.The supervisor also helps out where village pumpattendants have failed to do a repair.AchievementsSince this project started, 312 new shallow wells havebeen constructed, 130 medium depth boreholes havebeen drilled and 230 malfunctioning wells have beenrehabilitated. Also 230 pump attendants and 1132 wellcare takers received training.Problems and SolutionsA few wells dried up due to drought. This has especiallyaffected shallow wells more than medium depthboreholes. More emphasis has been put on thoroughsurveys during dry season.Sometimes poor village leadership leads to poor com-munity participation. Where such situations cannot berectified inspite of constant follow up, the project isforced to pull out. In all cases higher district officials areasked to assist.Due to custom, there is still a question of men alwaysdominating in all activities except collection of waterfrom the wells. Sometimes separate meetings are held forwomen to get their opinions.SanitationIn order to ensure long lasting health benefits brought byimproved water supply a sanitation component whichdeals with construction of improved latrines and hy-giene education is being implemented in villages sup-ported with water supply. The main objective is to en-sure that every household in project villages is using asanitary latrine which can last to a minimum of 5 yearsbefore it is filled up. This also includes primary schoolsand dispensaries within the villages. Alongside latrinesconstruction village health workers (VHWs) are trainedon basic hygiene measures. In turn these VHWs carry outhealth education activities to the fellow villagers throughsmall gatherings and home visits.Latrine ConstructionImplementation of the programme starts by motivationand awareness raising seminars to ward and villageleaders, extension staff, influential people and the villagepopulace. During these meetings the role of each partyinvolved in the programme is clearly explained. This isfollowed by mobilization of the needed materials forcasting of slabs. Each household is also supposed toconcerned after a communal meeting attended by bothparties concerned. In the contract, the community isinformed and has to agree that within time frame, it issupposed to provide free labour security to technicians/contractors, also contribute a specified amount of moneytowards construction of the wells whereas the Projectwill provide technical staff, equipment/tools, transportand materials.In addition to existing water sources as identifiedthrough social surveys additional/new sources are iden-tified during auger surveys for shallow wells and geo-physical surveys - for medium depth boreholes - whereauger surveys have failed. During auger surveying, thecommunities are involved in selecting places to be sur-veyed which will determine positions of the wells. Theyare also fully involved in carrying out actual surveywork.In order to develop more sense of ownership andresponsibility, also futuresustainability, starting July 1994, beneficiaries havebeen asked to contribute a certain amount of moneytowards construction of wells.During the first year (July 1994 - June 1995) it wasagreed that user contribution be 20,000/= (40 US$) perwell. This contribution will be raised gradually towardsfull construction cost. In the following year (July 1995 -June 1996) the contribution is set at Tshs. 100,000/= (200US$) per well. Response from the communities has beenencouraging.All construction of shallow wells is now done by subcontractors who have had good working experiencehitherto. A contract agreement is made between theproject and sub contractor specifying contract regula-tions, conditions of terminating contract and implemen-tation costs. While the sub contractor will be engaged intechnical and supervisory duties the beneficiaries par-ticipation  still remains the same. A project shallow wellsconstruction incharge goes around to check on the workof sub contractor and approve every steps of construc-tion.Before a shallow wells project is completed, the villageconcerned appoints 4 people (men & women) to betrained as pump attendants. During pump installation atrainer from the project, trains village pump attendantson pump operation and maintenance.The villages also appoint well care takers (mainlywomen) staying closest to the wells whose duty is toremind others on proper use of the pumps and keepenvironment clean.  In most cases pump attendants andwell care takers are not paid any allowances but areexempted from other communal duties.All completed wells are officially handed over to thebeneficiaries concerned.  During handing over certifi-cates are awarded. On these certificates the beneficiariesare reminded in writing of their responsibilities to takegood care of their wells, continue to collect money  toE   RURAL WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION: KILLEWO, RUTA and LUNGWA178contribute 1,000/= Tshs. (2 US$) as part payment for theconstruction costs.TCRS supplies cement, working tools and pays forsub-contractors. Each household is responsible for cur-ing and transporting the casted slab to construction site,digging the pit & building the super structure. Primaryschools are assisted with at least 8 VIP latrines. Theschool through parents produces burnt bricks and digthe pits whereas the school children collect sand, graveland water. TCRS supplies cement, weldmesh, fly screen& pays for the subcontractors.AchievementsThe programme has attained some remarkable achieve-ments one of them being reduction of diarrhoea diseasesand associated deaths. A study carried out in 1987 in 9pilot villages indicated 26.4% diarrhoea incidence amongunderfives and 7 years later after assisting these villageswith improved water supply and sanitation the diar-rhoea incidence dropped to 17%. Also diarrhoea associ-ated deaths during the same period droped consider-ably.Increased demand of latrine slabs from villages indi-cates the acceptability of the technology. This is mainlydue to the sturdiness of the slabs and to a lesser extent onthe health benefits associated with the use of the slabs.Reports from the field show that slabs from filled uppits have been shifted to new pits. This indicates that thetechnology is permanent.Problems and SolutionsAlthough assistance with latrine coverslabs has in somevillages been up to 100% there has been a very bigproblem on the use of the squatting hole lids, most slabsare not regularly cleaned and lack of routine mainte-nance of the latrine shelters which has led to some ofthem collapsing.  In order to curb these problems theproject has plans for intensifying hygiene education ac-tivities and emphasis on regular checking of the super-structure so as to build up repairing habits.Decrease in subsidy for slabs has resulted into decreasein the number of households acquiring the slabs. This ismainly affecting the rural poorest who are in most casesin need. This implies that when the subsidy is eventuallyremoved very few households will be able to possessconcrete slabs.In order to solve this problem emphasis will be ensur-ing each house hold to use a latrine which fulfills basichealth requirements.Lack of motivation and support from village govern-ments has resulted into many Village Health Workers(VHWs) dropping out and some of the remaining are notas active as expected. Frequent changes of leadership atvillage levels have also contributed to this problem.Village leaders have to be constantly made aware on theimportance of the VHWs so that they can give them thenecessary support.Other project componentsApart from water supply and sanitation, the projectincorporates: Natural Resources Management, Agricul-ture and Community Development. Afforestation andSoil Conservation promotes conservation of water sourcesand soil fertility. Improved methods of agriculture givesrise to higher crop yields, improved nutrition and im-proved income to the rural community. Communitydevelopment activities include among others the promo-tion of income generating groups. These are providedwith soft loans, the amounts of which depend on thenature of activities planned. The primary objective ofthese components is to create conducive environmentalfor promoting water supply and sanitation by buildingup a higher capacity for the users to  contribute towardsa sustainable development.ConclusionTCRS is now in the last year of the 3rd phase and there arealready plans of extending into a 4th four years phase(1996 - 1999). This will be a phasing out phase wherebyTCRS will gradually handover its activities to the localNGO yet to be identified.  Privatization of activities,increased users financial contributions and women in-volvement and users training will be the main focus ofthe 4th phase.

Singida integrated rural development project

https://repository.lboro.ac.uk/articles/Singida_integrated_rural_development_project/9594071/files/17234237.pdf

Singida integrated rural development project

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Loughborough University Institutional Repository