Here is the first progress report from our partners at charity: water on the work your support is funding in Madagascar.
Progress to date
Funds were sent to local partners in January, and the six months that followed are considered the planning stage of the project. Preparation is one of the most important parts of the process.
Partners use this time to assess and select which communities or schools will receive water points, based on factors like geography, need, community interest, the risk of overlap with other organizations, and whether spare parts will be available for future repairs. Once the locations are chosen, water point management training begins and construction materials are moved to the site.
What is next
Construction will accelerate over the coming months. Once it is complete, local implementing partners will test the water quality and hand the projects over to the communities for ongoing maintenance and management. Alongside that, trainings will cover sustainability, sanitation and hygiene.
Digging a trench for a new pipeline in rural Madagascar. Photo: charity: water.
About the work in Madagascar
Madagascar has some of the worst water, sanitation and hygiene indicators in the world. 54% of the country has basic access to drinking water, and in rural areas coverage drops to 36%. The country also regularly faces floods, droughts and cyclones.
charity: water is working with Helvetas to fund large-scale piped systems. Using solar or electric grid power, or gravity, water is pumped from boreholes and springs to community tap stands, household tap stands, health centers and schools.
Helvetas uses a public-private partnership approach that brings in local government and a private utility to contribute to the project budget, so the community, the local government and the private sector are all invested in the work.
The projects are complete
You sponsored 33 water projects in Madagascar for 165 people. Because of your generosity, 165 more people now have access to clean water.
The projects are piped system tap stands with household connections, built with local partner HELVETAS USA. Piped systems deliver a high level of water service by providing consistent access to clean water near or at home. Gravity, electricity, solar power, or a combination of methods bring clean water to the tap stands. Household-level water points provide access directly in the home or on a household’s plot.
A household water point in rural Madagascar. Photo: charity: water.
To protect the privacy of the individuals living in these communities, charity: water does not share the exact coordinates of people’s homes. Many projects share the same GPS coordinate and community name as a result.
Thank you
None of this happens without the readers, store owners and customers who believe in what Sprigs Life stands for. Thank you.
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