By Lilian Magari
Thanks to the Buhingu Multi-Village Water Supply Project, funded by the Grundfos Foundation in collaboration with UNICEF and RUWASA, more than 55,700 people across seven remote communities (Buhingu, Kalilani, Katumbi, Lagosa, Mgambo, Nkonkwa, and Rukoma) now have access to safe, reliable water.
The Buhingu Multi-Village Water Supply Project, supported by the Grundfos Foundation in collaboration with UNICEF and RUWASA, uses a solar-powered system to deliver safe and clean water to 55,732 people across seven remote communities. (UNICEF Tanzania)
The solar-powered and gravity-fed system – which uses solar pumps to lift water into elevated tanks, and then relies on gravity to push the water downhill through the pipes- includes a 150,000-litre sump well, a 500,000-litre main storage tank, and over 33 kilometres of pipeline reaching schools, health centres, and homes. Beyond technology lies something more powerful: community ownership.
“This water belongs to us,” says Mwasiti, a volunteer with the Community-Based Water Supply Organization (CBWSO), a legally recognized body that manages and maintains the system. “After what I went through, I wanted to make sure no one else suffers because of water.”
Almost ten years ago, Mwasiti faced the unimaginable. One evening in 2015, she and her husband went to fetch water from the lake.
Mwasiti fetching water at a Grundfos Foundation tap. (UNICEF Tanzania)
“I bent down to splash some water on my face,” she recalls softly. “Then, I felt a sharp pull.”
In seconds, she was face-to-face with a crocodile, its jaws clamped around her arm. Her husband’s desperate fight to free her saved her life, but left her with deep scars and deeper resolve.
“I am the only one who survived an encounter with a crocodile in our village,” she says quietly. “We have lost many people, including three children, just last year.”
With safe water now flowing from taps close to home, community members no longer need to walk long distances to the lake and children are safer. (UNICEF Tanzania)
Her story is not hers alone. Shabani, the Chairperson of the CBWSO, still mourns his twelve-year-old son, who disappeared in the lake five years ago. “He went swimming and never came home,” he says, his voice low. “Since that day, I made it my mission to protect others from the same pain.”
Today, that mission drives his work. Every morning, Shabani walks to the main storage tank to check water levels, review reports from system operators, and ensure that taps across the seven communities are running.
“People contribute small amounts, we keep records, and we make sure the water keeps flowing,” he explains. “When the community feels like they own something, they take care of it.”
Each household contributes a small monthly fee of TZS 7,000 (just under US$3) to support system maintenance for solar-powered systems and TZS 5,000 (approximately US$2) for gravity-fed systems. Payments are made through mobile phones or at local kiosk shops using government-issued control numbers, ensuring transparency and accountability.
With training from RUWASA and UNICEF, Shabani and his team have learned how to manage maintenance, budgeting, and hygiene promotion. But challenges remain.
Shabani (white sweatshirt) participates in meeting in Buhingu village school (UNICEF Tanzania)
“Sometimes families can’t pay their contribution on time,” he admits. “But we don’t give up. We do what we can and keep moving because we know what’s at stake.”
At a nearby tap, children laugh as they fill their buckets, the water sparkling in the afternoon light. Watching them, Mwasiti smiles. For years, these moments came with fear of crocodile attacks, unsafe water, and disease. Today, thanks to the new system, this community can collect water without risking their lives.
“Before, the sound of water meant danger,” says Mwasiti softly. “Now, when I hear the water flow in our taps, I feel at peace. I survived, and so did our community.”
Fetching water at Buhingu village school. (UNICEF Tanzania UNICEF Tanzania)
