CED is working in Partnership with the Anglican Diocese of Ruaha in a major community based rural water, sanitation and health & hygiene education programme in the Pawaga area in the north western corner of Iringa District. Pawaga is one of the climatically less well favoured areas of the region where some 16,000 people, centred on 8 villages,have no access to clean water.

A programme of health and hygiene education, improved sanitation and the construction of a permanent clean water supply commenced in April 2008. Work on the 23 km gravity piped water supply is well advanced and completion is expected in April 2011.

The 990,000 Euro programe is funded 75% by the European Union, and the balance by contributions from Tearfund UK, Tear Australia, Wilmslow Wells for Africa and CED. The site work is managed by Diocesan personnel aided by CED and is aimed at building up the capacity of the Diocese’s development department. CED part time Project Engineer, Rob Wakeling, spends 3 weeks on site every 2nd month. Sharp rises in commodity prices, especially fuel, cement, and petro-chemical based products, such as uPVC and HDPE pipe are among the challenges facing the team.

The work is managed by the Diocese Project Director, Christine Kilipamwambu and her team. From previous collaboration with CED in Kilolo She looks forward to benefits including:

• Women and girls no longer have to walk several kilometres each day to collect water.
• This means women are freed to spend their time caring for children, tending crops etc.
• School attendance has increased as children no longer spend all day collecting water.
• Incidences of serious diarrhoea no longer dominate the work of the local dispensaries
• Both children and adults are healthier than previously.
• Men are more prepared to carry out menial tasks like washing their own clothes because they do not have long walks to fetch water.