Access to water is often taken for granted by many of us. We simply turn on the tap and expect clean, cold or hot water to flow out. The girls at MGRC are now fortunate enough to experience this luxury with their own secure clean water system. Thanks to the generosity of the Larson Financial Foundation in St Louis MO, the MGRC ecoVillage now has its own secure clean water system.

Tanzania has faced severe droughts, with four consecutive dry rainy seasons since late 2020. This has resulted in the worst drought the country has experienced in four decades. As a consequence, our government’s water supply has become highly unreliable and sporadic. Operating a farm without access to sufficient water becomes nearly impossible under such circumstances. Similarly, it is equally challenging to feed and care for the girls at MGRC without an adequate supply of water. Even when supplied by the government, both electricity and water were frequently shut off for extended periods of time.

To address this critical issue, we resorted to having water trucked in which incurred exorbitant costs of up to $100 per day – a financial burden that was becoming overwhelming for us to sustain. The grant from the Larson Financial Foundation was a true Godsend!

With help from Elisante, we were fortunate to find a competent and honest contractor to drill the bore hole. So, when we had problems (as all projects do) he dealt with them. As an example, when drilling we hit a problem at 160 meters. He had to pull the pipe out and start over. His persistence paid off and we hit water at 195 meters. The flow was good (12,000 liters per hour) and the quality of the water was fantastic. God is good! 

And when electricity goes out, so does the water as Tanzania uses hydo-electic power. Luckily, we have ample water. In fact, we can store about 130,000 liters of water. This is enough water to service the crops and animals, maintain daily showers for the girls and staff, and prepare three meals a day for 64 girls and 21 staff for four days. Even if we lose electricity, we will still have water. 

Aside, I periodically ask girls what they think they would miss most if they went back to the ‘bush’.  They are grateful for the nutritious food and the opportunity to go to school and learn new skills. They love the family environment and comfortable beds. But virtually every girl I ask says she would miss running water and electricity the most.  

In other news, our girls continue to thrive in their new school and new environment.  More to come next time on some of their recent accomplishments and achievements but I want to say that I am so proud of each of them. Just like any family, we have our challenges, but the love they receive and feel for each other, is evident in their smiles, their growing confidence and their love for life.