WEFTA President Peter Fant, P.E., recently returned from a whirlwind tour of projects in Tanzania, followed by an invited appearance at a Vatican conference on WASH in healthcare. This article focuses on Fant’s findings in Tanzania.
Site visits carried out April 10 – 20, took Fant to Songea in the Ruvuma Region, and Musoma and Masanga in the Mara Region of Tanzania. Accompanying Fant were Sanitation and Water Action (SAWA) representatives. WEFTA and SAWA continue to partner successfully on numerous projects in Tanzania. As Fant’s trip report states: “…field visits confirmed that WASH interventions implemented by SAWA with support from WEFTA are generating significant and visible benefits across communities and institutions. Improved access to clean and reliable water has strengthened healthcare service delivery, enhanced hygiene and sanitation practices, reduced the incidence of waterborne diseases, and improved dignity, wellbeing, and productivity, particularly for women and children.”
In addition to WEFTA’s in-country partner organizations, such as SAWA, the Catholic sisters in Tanzania who serve rural populations in healthcare facilities and schools, are essential to the successful completion of WASH projects. As observed by Fant, the sisters, including in Tanzania the Daughters of Charity and the Immaculate Heart Sisters of Africa, simply “take the ball and run with it.” He carried that sentiment to his next stop, the Vatican conference, where he praised the sisters for their tireless work in developing communities.
Despite the significant progress noted in his report, Fant calls the remaining need in Tanzania “infinite and diverse,” with the biggest obstacle being funding. Click here to donate to help alleviate WASH needs in Tanzania.
