CONTEXT OF THE PROJECT

COVERAGE OF POTABLE WATER

Giteranyi is a village in Burundi with around 10,000 inhabitants who lack infrastructure for the procurement of water.

The rate of coverage of potable water is very weak in Giteranyi. On average, according to the sociological study we led, each household (of around 5 members) has only 20 liters of water per day at its disposal. This is much less than the minimum human need evaluated by the World Health Organization (WHO), which is 20 liters per person per day.

WATER SUPPLY IN GITERANYI

The geographical structure has a profound effect on water availability in Giteranyi. Giteranyi is located on a plateau at around 1500 m above sea level such that all rainwater flows down a slope. In addition, there are few rivers and the groundwater is found at a great depth.

The inhabitants of Giteranyi use the following water sources to satisfy their needs:

• Sources of potable water 4-5 km from the village: according to our sociological study, more than 90% of the population gets water there.
• Rainwater: Collected in a reservoir, it is stagnant and therefore often contaminated. Moreover, during the dry season from June to September there isn’t rain.

It is primarily the women who go to look for water, in addition to the children who go in the mornings before school.

IMPACT OF WATER SCARCITY

Impact on Health

Water from springs is often contaminated. The consumption of non-potable water has significant negative consequences on the population. Associated illnesses (e.g., diarrhea, hepatitis, typhus) increase infant mortality, as well as that of pregnant women, and decrease the life expectancy of the population. The rate of infant mortality, for example, is 20 times higher than that in Western nations.

Impact on Education

In the division of family duties, it is mostly children who are responsible for the water supply for the whole family. Those who go to school have to get up at dawn and walk for hours to get to a water source. In addition, depending on the time of day, they have to stand in line to fill their cans (from 5 to 20 liters, depending on the age of the child).

In the case of Giteranyi, this means that the child has to get up before 5 a.m. to collect and bring water to the family and then arrive on time to school. As a result, only the most motivated will find the energy to go and get involved in school, resulting in a very high illiteracy rate.

It is important to point out that this water scourge intensifies the difference in the literacy rate between boys and girls. Indeed, it is girls who are the most affected because they have the priority task of providing water for the whole family, while boys have to fetch wood for the fire, a task that can be accomplished on the way to or from school. This division of labour has serious repercussions on women’s lives: girls’ lack of education leads to early marriage and pregnancy, which undermines their health and diminishes their financial independence.

This situation is compounded by the problem of the safety of children, especially girls, for whom the risk of aggression is high when they go to fetch water.

OUR SOLUTION

We aim to resolve these problems by supplying water to the village. This will decrease the time dedicated to collecting water. To do this, we envisage constructing a well, then installing a photovoltaic pump to pump the water and bring the water to the village by adduction, and finally to put in place fountains in the village to distribute water. For more information, click here.