Two new boreholes bring safe water to Tumaini and Mwenda schools

We successfully drilled and constructed two new boreholes at Mwenda and Tumaini primary schools in Kasulu, Tanzania. Each site now has a reliable supply of clean water, which will benefit a total of 2,319 pupils and 32 school staff members annually, starting from July 12, 2025. This achievement has brought immense joy to children who previously had to walk long distances to collect unsafe water.

Challenges

At Tumaini School, the presence of underground flowing mud significantly complicated the drilling process, extending the time needed to complete the borehole. At Mwenda, financial constraints temporarily halted construction. We were only able to complete it by securing additional funds from another source.

Another ongoing challenge is the high number of users compared to the water outlet capacity. For example, Tumaini School has 1,209 pupils, but the outlet delivers only 20 litres per minute, equating to 1,200 litres per hour.

Despite these hurdles, the completion of both boreholes is already making a meaningful impact on the health and education of students at Tumaini and Mwenda primary schools. With continued support, we plan to expand our clean water efforts to three more schools in the coming weeks.

The following activities were carried out:

• Conducted site surveys to determine borehole locations

• Transported equipment and personnel to each site

• Drilled the boreholes

• Built and installed pump systems

• Constructed borehole infrastructure

• Trained school staff and students on maintenance

• Officially handed over the completed boreholes to the schools

I didn’t like coming to school because there was no water, and we girls were often told to carry water for the teachers. I also hated using the toilet without water. I knew it was unhealthy. Many of us were diagnosed with UTIs and told not to use dirty toilets. Our school is big, and we all share one waterless toilet. Honestly, I was scared to be here. Now we have clean underground water for washing, drinking, and use throughout the school day. I believe this will truly change our school and improve learning for both boys and girls.