St. Gertrude Girls Secondary School Borehole Project

Total Project Cost: $32,900

Project Location:  Imiliwaha, Njombe District, Tanzania

Project Overview & Community Background

St. Gertrude Girls Secondary School, founded in 2003 by the African Benedictine Sisters of St. Gertrude Monastery, serves approximately 400 girls in Kitulila village, Njombe District. The school was established to counter long‑standing gender disparities in education, where girls were often denied schooling in favor of early marriage and dowry practices. Today, the Sisters continue to provide high‑quality education and a safe learning environment for girls from surrounding rural communities.

Water, Sanitation and Health (WASH) Concerns

The school faces a critical challenge: lack of access to clean, safe, and reliable water. Students must walk long distances to fetch water, often from unsafe sources. This burden reduces study time, increases absenteeism, and exposes students to waterborne diseases. As stated by the sisters: “Lack of sanitary water is a critical issue which increases cases of preventable diseases, reduced school attendance and productivity due to illnesses…”

To address this urgent need, the Sisters are requesting support to drill a deep borehole (80–100 meters), install a pump and elevated storage tanks, and establish a sustainable water management system.

Why This Project Matters

Reliable access to water is foundational for:

• Girls’ education: Time spent fetching water is time lost from class.
• Health: Waterborne diseases significantly impact student well‑being and school performance.
• Safety and dignity: Clean water is essential for menstrual hygiene management and daily sanitation.
• School operations: Cooking, cleaning, and sanitation all depend on dependable water access.

The Sisters emphasize that “Access to clean and safe drinking water is not only a basic human need but also a sacred right that upholds human dignity.”

This project directly aligns with WEFTA’s mission to support community‑driven WASH solutions, especially in schools and institutions serving vulnerable populations.

Proposed Project Objectives

• Provide clean and safe drinking water through a new borehole.
• Reduce waterborne diseases among students and staff.
• Improve school attendance and academic performance.
• Strengthen hygiene and sanitation across the campus.
• Train staff and students in basic water system maintenance.
• Enhance the overall quality of life for 400 girls annually.

Proposed Project Scope of Work

• Hydrogeological Survey: Identify optimal drilling location based on groundwater availability.
• Borehole Drilling (80–100 meters): Professional drilling with casing, gravel pack, development, wellhead protection, and completion.
• Pump Installation: Installation of a reliable electric or solar‑powered pump.
• Elevated Storage Tanks: Two tanks ($2,000 USD each) to ensure gravity‑fed distribution.
• Piping & Fittings: Distribution lines to key points across the school campus.
• Community Sensitization & Training: Hygiene promotion and borehole maintenance training.
• Monitoring & Evaluation: Regular water quality testing and feedback collection.

Expected Outcomes

• A fully functioning borehole providing safe, reliable water.
• Improved hygiene and sanitation throughout the school.
• Reduced incidence of waterborne diseases.
• Increased student performance and attendance.
• Empowered staff and students with maintenance knowledge.
• A sustainable water system supported by a school water committee.

Sustainability Plan

The Sisters will establish a Water Management Committee composed of staff and students. The school will allocate funds annually for routine maintenance and repairs. As stated in the proposal, “basic maintenance training will be provided to school personnel… the school will allocate part of its annual budget for routine maintenance.”

This approach aligns with WEFTA’s emphasis on long‑term reliability, community ownership, and post‑construction follow‑up.

Budget Summary 

WEFTA Support

This project is an ideal fit for WEFTA’s community‑based WASH approach, combining:

• Practical engineering
• Local stakeholder engagement
• Post‑construction follow‑up
• Sustainability through training and budgeting
• Direct impact on women and girls

WEFTA’s support will enable the Sisters to provide a safe, healthy, and dignified learning environment for 400 girls with generational impact. 

If you would like additional information about this project, please contact us.