Two Years of Waiting for Water at Shamba Kapori Village
The rural water crisis has been affecting the lives of many people, especially women. They have been the biggest victims as in many African societies it is the women who are responsible for ensuring that the family has access to water for daily use.
In making sure they do this, the women have to walk long distances and sometimes through dangerous bushes to find water for their family, but even the water they find in natural wells is still not clean and safe for human consumption. But they have no option, that’s their life and they are used to it.
In response to this challenge, governments and organizations around the world have been making efforts to save the vast majority of water-borne communities by 2030.
Apart from government and organizations’ initiatives, journalists have also been at the forefront of amplifying the voices of communities facing water challenges.
Mohammed Hammie is one of the few journalists who believe that elevating the community’s voice can reach policymakers and change people’s lives. His primary work is in promoting the human right to safe water and sanitation in Tanzania.
In 2019 he visited Shamba Kapori village to talk to the people about the water challenge they were facing. Mohammed discovered this village after airing the advert for one week via Voice of Africa (VOA) radio station based in Korogwe district. A 1-minute radio advert requested residents with water concerns to text or call in a special number provided, explaining the kind of water crisis they are experiencing, also mentioning their villages and wards.
The purpose of the advert was to identify the areas (Villages and Wards) with critical water challenges, to find out how many villages would be interested in media coverage of water issues, and to select some villages for producing and airing a radio program. Fortunately, Shamba Kapori village was one of the two villages he chose.
Another village was Mswaha which received water support from the government. Read here: https://www.endwaterpoverty.org/tanzania-government-pledges-500-million-to-address-rural-water-crisis-media-for-community-empowerment
Two years after airing a radio program on the water challenge from Shamba Kapori, the government has finally managed to supply water to the people who for many years have been using unsafe water from muddy wells.
The program aired through the Sauti Yangu radio show which means ‘My Voice’ in Swahili. This is a 30 minute unique and powerful show that aims to engage citizens, amplify their voices and pressure the government to resolve the water crisis in rural areas.
For the past two years, Mohammed has been doing the monitoring, asking if there are any efforts made by the government or private organizations in helping to solve the water crisis in the village.
In November this year 2021 he received a call from a young man he was in contact with named Juma Mgwanda, explaining that water is now available in their village, and that became the reason for him to go back to the village with the aim of talking to the people he spoke to two years ago, to know how they feel after being provided with clean and safe water by their government.
“We are thankful that our government has made an effort and now we have access to clean and safe water, we did not expect that the day would come and we villagers would have access to drinking water, but now we say thank you very much.” Said Juma Mgwanda when Mohammed arrived at the village. Juma also took Mohammed to one of the water centers set up by the government for the people to fetch water.
“Earlier before we were given this well, the water supply situation was bad here in the village, I know you were here in 2019 and you saw the situation. The wells we used to draw water were muddy, and we also relied on rainwater, for if it doesn’t rain, it means we lack water to use with our families.” Said Sabina Selemani, a woman which Mohammed met in 2019 when he visited Shamba Kapori village and reported the water challenge.
During the interview Miss Sabina expressed the way she feels after the government dug wells for them, said; “I feel good, many women here in the village were the ones who were challenged to go the long distance to fetch water, but even the water we used to get was not clean and safe for human consumption, but now we thank the government for digging this well for us, we are very happy.”
The villagers said that since water is now available in their village, it is good that the government must also solve the challenge of lack of electricity as they believe if there is electricity in the village, then development opportunities will increase and they will increase their income.
The journey of leaving no one behind continues, to ensure citizens at the national level, district level, ward, and rural levels are provided with clean and safe water.
