The WaterCan@Universities Challenge Project unites the fundraising efforts of chapters across Canada and abroad in support of critical water and sanitation initiatives in Africa.
Each year, a new Challenge Project is announced – from providing safe drinking water for an entire community to ensuring that school children have access to basic latrines. Each chapter then sets out with new and creative ways of raising the funds necessary to make it happen.
To date, Challenge Project goals have not only been met but exceeded – changing the lives of thousands of people and helping dozens of communities break the cycle of poverty and disease.
For a summary of current and previous Challenge Projects, please see below. |
2008 - 2009: Clean Water and Sanitation for Schools, Bachoo District Ethiopia
Challenge:
The Chapter Challenge this year is to raise $50,000 to fully fund projects in two large rural primary schools in the Bachoo District of Ethiopia. The goal of this project is to provide school children, teachers and staff at Sodo Liben and Keta Insilale Primary Schools with improved and sustained access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene education. Fully funded, this project will improve the lives of over 1500 people!
Current situation:
Sodo Liben Primary and Keta Insilale Primary Schools experience similar challenges when it comes to their current water and sanitation conditions. Neither school has adequate and hygienic toilet facilities for their students. The small number of pit latrines that do serve the large student populations are in terrible condition and do not adequately separate human waste from human contact, leading to high incidence of illness and absenteeism.
The water situations at these two schools is even more abhorrent. Both schools completely lack clean water supplies, which means that students, especially girls, miss lessons as they walk long distances to collect water for drinking and cleaning the school facilities.
Proposed solution
Each school will receive a borehole well (60 meters deep), with a hand-pump and water storage tank to provide these young students with the clean and reliable water source that they need in order to stay healthy and succeed in school. The construction of six-stall latrine blocks (separate for boys and girls) with appropriate hand-washing facilities will help to improve the environmental health conditions around the school and offer the privacy and dignity that the students deserve. The development benefits of this new infrastructure will be augmented by culturally sensitive and age appropriate hygiene education lessons and the establishment of school-based water and sanitation management teams.
The projects will be carried out in cooperation with WaterCan's indigenous partner organization, The Oromo Self Reliance Organization (OSRA).
Total raised to date:
To be Announced
2007-2008: Clean Water & Sanitation for Schools, Siaya District, Kenya
Challenge:
To raise $30,000 for projects that will provide clean water, basic sanitation and hygiene education for three schools in the Siaya District, located in Western Kenya:
Aluor Primary School
Wang’bith Primary School
Wambusa Primary School
These projects are expected to directly benefit 1,385 students and staff and have an overwhelmingly positive impact on the surrounding communities.
Current situation:
For students at these schools, water sources can be up to five kilometres away and even then are not safe for use; students are regularly forced to miss out on lessons to fetch water for the school
As a result of water scarcity, many students go the whole day without having anything to drink
Hundreds of students must share only a few open pit latrines, which are in extremely poor condition and offer no privacy
Due to overcrowding, many girls and younger students are forced to relieve themselves in the surrounding bush
All three schools have experienced high absentee and drop-out rates as a result of water and sanitation-related diseases affecting their students
Proposed solution:
For each school:
Rainwater tanks will be installed and/or repaired, providing students and staff with safe, reliable water for drinking, cooking and cleaning - eliminating the need for students to walk for miles in search of a source
Two-door latrine blocks, ranging from four to eight stalls, will be constructed at each school, replacing the squalid open pit latrines and giving students and staff a sanitary, private and safe place to relieve themselves
Hygiene education programs will be promoted to teach children how to use their new water and sanitation facilities, and emphasize the importance of good hygiene (regular hand-washing, etc.)
Total raised to date:
$43,939 - CHALLENGE MET and EXCEEDED!
2006-2007: Meskan District Clean Water for Schools Project, southern Ethiopia
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The overall goal of the project is provide school children, teachers and staff of three rural primary schools in rural Meskan District with improved and sustained access to clean water, sanitation facilities and hygiene education. The project is expected to benefit at least 3,000 children and adults.
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University students are challenged to raise $30,000 to completely fund this initiative.
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2006-2007 challenge project outline
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Total raised to date: $44,480
2005-2006: Nyaruenya Community Water & Sanitation Project, Western Kenya
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The overall goal of the project is to improve the quality of life of people living in Nyaruenya Village through the development of water supplies, basic sanitation facilities, and the carrying out of hygiene education. The project is expected to benefit at least 3,800 villagers.
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University students are challenged to raise $25,000 towards this project, which will be matched 2:1 by CIDA.
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2005-2006 challenge project outline
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2005-2006 challenge project update (April 2005)
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Total raised: $35,712 - CHALLENGE MET and EXCEEDED!
2004-2005: Enseno Family Drinking Water & Sanitation Project, Central Ethiopia
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The overall goal of the project is to improve the quality of life of villagers living in Enseno District through the development of clean drinking water supplies, basic sanitation facilities, and the carrying out of hygiene education. The project is expected to benefit at least 3,000 villagers.
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University students are challenged to raise $25,000 towards this project, which will be matched 2:1 by CIDA.
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2004-2005 challenge project outline
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2004-2005 challenge project update (April 2005)
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Total raised: $32,470 - CHALLENGE MET and EXCEEDED!
Chapter Challenges
Periodically, WaterCan will let you know about specific challenges we hope your Chapter will come onboard for. The challenge may involve raising public awareness, participating in WaterCan's advocacy campaigns (or those of other organizations), or a unique fundraising activity. Visit this section to learn more.
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