Clean water remains a persistently pressing issue in sub-Saharan Africa. In Tanzania, due to limited access to clean drinking water, as many as 12% of children suffer from diarrheal diseases, which are particularly dangerous for children under the age of five.

In the country, 4 in 10 households and 1 in 3 schools lack access to safe drinking water. The population—especially in rural areas—relies on hand-dug shallow wells or other water sources where the water is visibly brown. Bacteria found in this contaminated water are responsible for many serious diseases, including cholera and typhoid fever.

After building many wells in Chad together with missionaries, we received a request from the White Fathers, Missionaries of Africa, to support deep well drilling efforts in Tanzania as well.

Tanzania is one of the least urbanized countries in the world. In urban areas, water is supplied by state-owned water companies, which attempt to provide treated water from nearby rivers or lakes. Outside the cities, people rely on water reservoirs where the water is often surface-level and undrinkable—but they have no alternative. In Tanzania, as many as 75% of illnesses related to intestinal or stomach disorders are caused by contaminated water,

- says Fr. Adam Cytrynowski, MAfr, a missionary in Tanzania.

The daily life of people in Tanzania's agricultural regions is shaped by the natural rhythm of the dry and rainy seasons. Due to the high temperatures during the dry season, which can reach up to 40˚C, Tanzanians begin their day very early to avoid the unbearable heat. Women often wake up as early as 3:00 a.m. to fetch water from the well, prepare food, and take their children to school. Men typically begin working in the fields around 4:00 a.m., even before sunrise. Water is essential for all of these activities.

Dry soil does not produce crops. For something to grow, it must be watered abundantly. Sometimes, residents are unable to do this because there isn't even enough water for themselves. And so, the spiral of hunger and misery continues.

Drilling deep wells in Tanzania is particularly challenging because it requires specialized equipment to break through hard ground, which significantly increases the cost. Water must be sought deep underground and often lies beneath layers of rock. Each meter of drilling costs approximately US$95. If water is found at a depth of 100 meters, the cost of constructing the well is around US$9,500. However, if water is only found at a depth of 180 meters, the cost can rise to an astronomical US$17,100.

In 2023, a project to purchase professional well-drilling equipment was successfully completed. Thanks to this investment, the cost of drilling a single well has been reduced by nearly 50%.

The need for new sources of clean drinking water in Tanzania remains high. However, we believe that with your support, more wells will be built!

Bank account numbers for money transfers are:

For $: PL 52 1600 1462 1847 3641 5000 0009; SWIFT: PPAB PLPK
For €: PL 41 1600 1462 1847 3641 5000 0013; SWIFT: PPAB PLPK
For others: IBAN: PL 79 1600 1462 1847 3641 5000 0008; SWIFT: PPAB PLPK

For more on well construction in Tanzania, see the articles:

• MAJI NI UHAL means: WATER IS LIFE
• Tanzania's first wells
• Prayer for rain
• Water is a blessing