Safe Water for Schools Tanzania

We believe creating access to clean drinking water is one of the most powerful ways to improve the world. Not only can it save communities from infectious disease, malnutrition and health complications, but improved water supply and sanitation can also boost economic growth and help to reduce poverty.

Together with our guests, Sanctuary Retreats Philanthropy is working towards raising standards of living by delivering clean water to schools that border Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire National Park.

The stunning natural resources and astounding biodiversity of the Masai Mara draws visitors from around the globe. We have a long history of collaboration with local Maasai communities to plan their own development and enterprise priorities.

THE  INITIATIVE

The Safe Water for Schools Initiative uses the LifeStraw community filter to create clean water for schools in Arusha, Tarangire and Ngorongoro. This sustainable, non-invasive, high-volume water purifier converts contaminated water into safe drinking water by removing a minimum of 99.9999% of bacteria, viruses and protozoan parasites, preventing waterborne diseases common in Africa, such as diarrhoea, typhoid, cholera, worms and cryptosporidiosis.

Each filtration system can purify between 70,000 to 100,000 litres of water (enough to serve a school for three to five years), is chemical free and does not require electrical power or batteries. Sanctuary Retreats Philanthropy has distributed a total of 157 LifeStraw community filters to 27 schools, benefitting over 18,000 students, as well as one to a health centre in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which treats an average of 1,000 patients a day.

NUTRITION

By implementing this programme in schools, Sanctuary Retreats Philanthropy is promoting health and hygiene in an equitable way. The introduction of the revolutionary filter prevents the loss of vital nutrients due to diarrhoea and water-related illness, helps halt stunted growth and malnutrition in children and contributes to economic development of the community through income saved from clinic expenditures. The access to clean water will also help increase the productivity of school children and staff by reducing absenteeism from sicknesses.

THE RESULTS

As part of our long-term commitment to the communities we serve, the Safe Water for Schools Initiative conducts quarterly surveys via mobile phone to assess the benefits of the programme, ensures that the schools continue to practise complementary health and hygiene behaviours and confirms that the filters are working properly. To date, over 18,000 students and teachers across 27 schools around Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire National Park now have access to safe drinking water.