Water Work

Paul has continued to be busy in work over the past few months. As well as specifying and overseeing a bit of survey work; the project budget has been re-worked, Monitoring and Evaluation documents compiled as well as meeting with local stakeholders. Getting the survey sorted was an interesting experience. In a country where you haggle and bargain over the price of a handful of tomatoes, it was no real surprise to spend many hours talking, arguing and pleading over costs. After finally coming to an agreement, we also decided one of the ‘Water Team’ should be with the surveyors at all times to keep an eye of them. Thankfully we had a work experience student with us who was an ideal candidate for that!

The villages of Maganzo and Masagala are located about half an hour drive north of Shinyanga, beside the main Shinyanga-Mwanza road. The communities are very close to Mwadui diamond mine and they do a lot of ‘local’ mining so you have to watch out for large holes when you walk and drive around the area. The target population of approximately 12,000 currently have no access to a reliable, clean water source. People can buy unclean water from small dams or shallow wells nearby but for drinking water, they go to a dam 6km away. There is no other water infrastructure of any sort in the area despite the houses, guesthouses, shops etc. – all water is collected in buckets and walked or cycled to where they are.

ICS is working closely with KASHWASA (Kahama Shinyanga Water Supply and Sewage Authority) who are responsible for taking water from Lake Victoria before treating and pumping to Shinyanga. The project will be taking water from their pipeline and supplying it to 25 public water points. KASHWASA are keen to see the project succeed and have provided technical assistance at various stages, sent Engineers to help with the design and given us over 3km of pipe to use wherever we need. This local participation is useful for ICS now but will also help the project’s sustainability due to the support of those who provide the water and maintain the system.

The project is currently in the detailed design phase so there has been lots of studying of the Tanzania Water Supply Design Manual and discussions about pipe materials, population figures, how many people will actually use our new taps and the like. For the past few months, we have been concentrating on office work because of the Election. Not as a result of any safety concerns, but because very few people believe that we are serious about providing them with a water supply system – they have been convinced we are politicians making empty promises. So the general plan has been to wait until the elections are over and then go back and tell the community we are still here - quite a simple plan really!

Swahili word of the day: Maji safi na salama (Safe and clean water)

Hapa Kazi Tu!

After weeks and even months of political conversation and debate throughout the country, the Tanzanian General Election took place on Sunday 25th October. 

CCM (Chama Cha Mapinduzi) or Party of the Revolution has, using various names, ruled Tanzania since it's independence in 1961. The party was started by Julius Nyerere, the 'father of the nation', who is revered throughout Tanzania and looks down on you from the wall of every office, shop and public building. CCM were the only legal political party until 1995 - although the addition of more parties has not changed the result of any election, with many claiming that the country knows who the new President will be before any votes are cast. 

This time, the major opposition parties joined together behind one candidate to try and wrestle power from the all-powerful CCM. It was felt that many people were ready for and wanted change, with the majority of younger voters vocal in their desire for change. 

On Thursday, four days later, the new President was declared as CCM's John Pombe Magufuli (Pombe being the Swahili for 'alcohol' and Magufuli meaning 'padlocks' which is the source of much amusement!). No real surprise but the announcement was accompanied by much grumbling and unhappiness among ordinary Tanzanians. However, police now swarm the streets with orders to break up any group of people greater than three members and with promises that any protest or demonstration will be dealt with harshly. The opposition has sent an open letter to the international community and The Hague but with the Tanzanian constitution stating that once a President is announced, the result cannot be overturned, the overriding feeling is that everyone will just have to wait five years and try again.

Looking forward, here is the BBC's take on what the new President of Tanzania needs to concentrate on over his term. Let's hope he can do a good job!

Swahili word of the day: Hapa Kazi Tu (Only Work Here - CCMs election slogan)