AFRINSPIRE is a UK registered charity which supports African initiatives in development and poverty reduction in East Africa. Working closely with community leaders to understand development needs we tailor our support to meet their requirements.

PHYSICAL ADDRESS

26 Newmarket Road

Cambridge

CB5 8DT

07411 931 961

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 ©Copyright 2018 Afrinspire - Registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation in England and Wales number 1163774.

WATER AND SANITATION

Access to clean water is a common problem in Eastern Africa and this has huge health impacts. After malaria, diarrheal diseases, which often result from poor water quality, are the most common cause of death in Uganda, and many of the most severe diseases endemic in Africa, such as cholera and typhoid, are transmitted via communal water sources. 3 children die every minute from water-related illnesses (UNICEF). That’s 9 children in the time it takes you to read this page.

 

Water is also in scarce supply – families walk long distances and spend a lot of time collecting water. They may struggle to provide enough water for both themselves and the animals and crops which are their livelihoods in the dry season. Therefore, lack of water can cause disease, famine and poverty, and reduce the time families have available for other essential activities. This is why it has a prominent place in the Sustainable Development Goal: SDG 6.

OUR SOLUTION

 

Afrinspire works with African communities to provide water not only for drinking, but also for cooking, washing, crop irrigation and rearing livestock. We believe that water is essential for sustainable development, healthy ecosystems, and ultimately human survival. We use a multifaceted approach to protecting and storing clean water for these central needs on a community-by-community basis.

​“I used to spend 5 hours daily collecting water 3km from my home. The construction of this water tank has made my life easy; I have time to do my domestic cares”

Mrs Amuza, Community Health Worker

AREAS OF WORK

Water Source Protection

​The most cost-effective option for access to clear water is source-protection, which can take the form of various types of wells, and spring protection. These are produced by locally-trained teams with a contribution from the local community, and maintained by small village ‘water committees’ who care for the water sources. This partnership with communities , built on mutual respect and expertise ensures that water is sustainably available to those who need it.

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Water Storage

Where water source protection is not possible or practical, or where a large volume of water is required in a specific place, we also work with communities to support rainwater harvesting and storage. This works particularly well in Uganda, which receives a lot of rain at some points of the year, and very little at others. Storage tanks have been placed in villages, schools and other training institutions.

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Education and Sanitation

Our multi-faceted approach to ensuring clean water also involves providing basic health and health education, as part of the Functional Adult Literacy, for example by explaining the need to wash hands, and the link between open defecation and sickness. Simple ‘pit latrines’ ensure that human waste does not contaminate water sources.

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Afrinspire has assisted schools in constructing school latrine blocks.

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HOW YOU CAN HELP

SUPPORT

SUPPORT the construction of a new water source or water storage system for as little as £2 per person (far less than many development agencies!)

DEVELOP

DEVELOP your understanding of the critical role of water and sanitation for sustainable development

    GET INVOLVED   

DONATE

DONATE to our water and sanitation programmes to provide clean water for communities