Installation of a solar-powered water pumping system at Mandela Village in Tanzania by Innovation: Africa is creating jobs for locals.
The non-profit organisation, has said the project was part of its on-going project implementation across Africa.
In a statement on Tuesday, the group explained that the two water towers were constructed with 12 taps throughout the village, bringing potable running water for the first time to the village’s 4,700 people, and a cattle trough for livestock.
Aside the social impact of clean running water, the installation has also created jobs for the locals, it added.
Only local Tanzanian contractors were used and 10 members of the village were trained and upskilled in construction, a skill that they can use for life, the group disclosed.
Also, security guards and pump attendants were hired from the community to supervise the project.
It said community members were involved in many long-term initiatives such as brickmaking, building gardens and selling produce that bring in more income.
“The potential that is unleashed when we are able to turn on the taps and provide clean water to rural communities can have life-changing ripple effect,” the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Innovation: Africa, Sivan Ya’ari, said.
Ya’ari noted that lack of water was not only detrimental to sanitation, but also to agriculture and health, as clinics become high risk areas for infection and children could not attend school without much higher risks of disease and contamination. It also forces women and children to carry heavy vessels for long distances, even into the night.
According to him, water scarcity creates social disparity, as breadwinners often cannot work because they are searching for water; this invariably causes conflict within communities.
Hope is not lost, Ya’ari noted, as the sun is the most cost-efficient source of energy available.
Just a few solar panels are enough to power a solar pump that can provide clean water to an entire community – for some, it is the first clean water they’ve had access to in their lives, the CEO noted.
“The link between energy, water and food security is especially evident in many economically-challenged African villages. Just a few solar panels can mean a solar-powered water supply, which in turn means irrigation for reliable and sustainable crop production. The knock-on effect leads to increased income generation, meaning more economic development and opportunities which benefit all,” Ya’ari added.
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