Fresh Water: A Critical Problem

Lack of access to clean, safe water is a critical and persistent obstacle to improving the lives of people in Tanzania, especially the education outcomes of its children, most especially its girls. Culturally, girls bear the burden of foraging for firewood for boiling water and cooking, typically walking long distances to acceptable sources of water and wood. This burden consumes much of the girls’ days, leaving little or no time to attend school or study. Illness from waterborne contaminants also contributes to high dropout rates for all students.

The Solution: Ask Women Entrepreneurs

An emerging trend in developing countries is to solve this problem by creating small, locally-owned manufacturers of water filters that produce safe, clean drinking water. Safe Water Mugango (SWM) is a women-owned organization that does exactly that. Their solution has added benefits of not requiring an energy source for users and a five-year life-cycle, requiring minimal maintenance, an ideal fit for use in rural and developing areas. SWM was formed by a group of women potters in the village of Mugango in northwest Tanzania. Their primary goal for this business is to earn money to educate their children. They need training, equipment and materials to launch and grow their business.

They Need Our Help: Get Involved!

You can learn more about the story of women who created Safe Water Mugango. Or you can dive in face first and get involved as a volunteer or advocate. Or you can contribute to the effort by directly supporting the fundraising effort. Pick your style and stand together with hundreds of others who are committed to seeing these women succeed at elevating the quality of life for their children and their villages.