 |
|||||||||
  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|||||||||
       |
       |
    As one of 15 wives of a Masai Chief, Monica Mhadi's life has always been better off than other women in her village in rural Tanzania (click for map of Tanzania). Even so, she lost four of her seven children because of poor sanitary conditions. Luckily,such tragedies are no longer an inevitable part of Monica's world.Access to clean water has made life safer for Monica and other Masai and Mangati women in Tanzania's Dodoma and Kondoa districts. A UN backed project has brought them safe drinking water, better sanitary conditions, and community health care. As a result, Monica's eighth baby was delivered under hygienic conditions with no complications. The Water Supply and Health Project is funded by a UN agency, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the Belgian Survival Fund (BSF). IFAD finances food production programmes to alleviate rural poverty and improve nutritional standards in developing countries. Local communities take an active role in shaping these programmes. With the Water Supply and Health Project in Tanzania, villagers formed water and healthcare committees to monitor the start-up fund and get government support for new bore wells. Monica and her husband helped plan the bore-hole in their locality and contributed 100,000 shillings for its start-up. Susana Masinga, who lives with her husband and two children in the nearby Chiboli village, also benefited from the Water Supply and Health Project. Before the new bore-hole, fetching water used to be a full day's job that family members took turns doing. They could only wash their clothes once a month, and bathe once a week. Now Susana can finish all her household chores — sweeping, cleaning, collecting firewood, making flour, cooking — and has time left over to run a small tea stall. In fact, she is talking about expanding her business to the market in the larger Fufu village. Olivia Mgoba and Moreen Yusuph have also opened up a business selling tea and buns in Chiboli. A few years ago, this would have been impossible. Every day, Olivia and Moreen had to walk 6 hours to fetch water from the closest river. The sinking of these bore wells and the availability of safe drinking water, has had a tremendous impact on the lives of women like Monica, Susana, Olivia and Moreen. The project has particular resonance for Dodoma, whose name in the local Chicogo language means, "it has sunk." FIND OUT MORE about how the UN works to support women’s rights. Go to the links next to Monica ADDITIONAL STORIES ABOUT WOMEN: Jorling learns to take care of herself | Marie finds her voice | Lolona learns to read in 30 days | Fresh Hope and a Bright Future for Aisatu | Beijing+10 Women's Stories Photo credit: Farhana Haque Rahman |
|
