Caritas Australias Project Compassion It really works

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Caritas AustraliasProject Compassion It
really works!

• Many of you will remember Lucia from Kighare in
  Tanzania, who featured in our 2006 Project
  Compassion DVD and materials.
• Caritas Australia recently visited Lucia and her
  family to see what difference the support of
  Caritas Australia has made to their lives.

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Since the water project commenced, life for
Lucia, now 15, her father Daniel, mother Maria
and younger sisters Angela (14) and Flora (12)
has improved dramatically.
In 2004 as part of Caritas Australias efforts to
provide clean reliable water supplies to
communities in rural Tanzania, a water project in
the northern province of Same in the rural
village of Kighare was established. As part of
Project Compassion 2006, we told Lucias story to
emphasise the personal impact of having limited
access to water a basic human right.
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Lucia told Caritas Australias African regional
program Coordinator Scott Martin, Before the
water project, much of my time was taken up with
collecting water. It was a long way away to so I
had to walk a long distance and it made life very
difficult for me. I used to spend two hours
every day collecting water and bringing it up a
very steep hill.Now, thanks to the water
project, we have water for the house, water for
the garden and even some left over, which we
never had before.
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• Lucia and her sisters Flora and Angela in
  front of their flourishing garden. Produce that
  they grow is eaten by the family or sold at the
  local market, providing a further source of
  family income

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• Daniel, Lucias father explains the difference a
  ready supply of clean water has made,
• water has really improved the life of our
  family. Before we could only grow green
  vegetables in the wet season.
• Now we can grow green vegetables in our garden,
  even in the dry season. There is enough left over
  for us to sell at the markets to make a bit of
  extra money. We also have enough water to grow
  sugar cane, arrowroot and other crops all year
  round, which increases our income and helps pay
  the childrens school fees
• We have also been able to plant 25 new trees
  on our land- some grevillia trees for firewood
  and avocado and orange trees for fruit. It has
  improved the environment too because more trees
  will mean less erosion in the dry season.

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Lucias mother, Maria says the water supply has
also had health benefits.I have seen a big
change in the health of our family. Now we have
more water, I can bathe far more often and
washing clothes is not such a difficult chore
because we have enough water to do it. We can
also keep the house much cleaner when it is dusty
outside.Now our water is much cleaner so there
is less amoebic dysentery and typhoid. There is
also less malaria because people no longer have
to dig holes to store water where mosquitoes
live. Instead the water comes through pipes,
says Maria.
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The water project in Kighare is also built around
a sustainable model where recipients pay a small
amount which goes to the upkeep and maintenance
of the water project. Lucias father Daniel
Explains how it works, We have a schedule in
the village- every week the men get together to
maintain the water pipes and tanks. We clean the
water intake area and clear out the grass which
grows around the pipes so that the water flows
well and the pipes wont be affected if there is
a fire in the dry season. Its difficult work
but everyone is happy to do it because of the
benefits for the whole community.Each
household also gives Tsh 300 (about 30 Australian
cents or the cost of a large bunch of bananas or
a couple of duck eggs in local prices) per month
to the community water committee. We think this
is a reasonable price to pay and even if it goes
up a bit for repairs, its still worth it because
of the great community benefits.

• The water tank built by Caritas Australia
  and other villagers who also benefit from the
  project

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With the growing security Lucias family have
gained from Caritas Australia's support, they are
now considering what other options may be
available to increase their family
income.Lucias father Daniel explains,
Keeping ducks is a new project for us. We eat
some of the eggs and the rest we sell at the
market. We could not have kept ducks if we didnt
have this extra water. The water means we might
be able to start keeping pigs too. Pigs can sell
for a high price so I hope we can use them to
make money for Lucia to go to university.
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Lucia has plans now to go to University and the
increased income her family have access to, makes
this a possibility. I would like to be an
accountant when I grow up. This year I have
started at boarding school and it is difficult
being away from my family but in the long run it
will benefit all of us, says Lucia.
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Caritas Australia is providing more than
38,000 people in four areas of Tanzania with
water through community owned and managed water
projects.Your support through Project
Compassion enables us to continue to help
families like Lucias in Tanzania, throughout
Africa and in 35 countries throughout the
world.Dig deep for Caritas Australia's 2007
Project Compassionit really does make a
difference!For more information see
www.caritas.org.au