With only two short rainy seasons a year, water scarcity is one of the greatest everyday challenges for communities in the region where Africa Wood Grow works. At the community hub, a solar-powered water system now turns that challenge into an example of what nature-based solutions can achieve.
The various phases of the project
Water scarcity has always been a constant threat in the semi-arid landscape where Africa Wood Grow is active. Building a system that makes water more accessible for both people and animals was therefore one of the foundation’s top priorities at the community hub.
Water is now pumped from the Tiva river to a tower at the community hub, using a solar-powered electric pump. From the tower, the water is distributed to two collection points and to shops in the nearest village. More than 2,500 people now regularly collect their water at one of these points, and animals drink from it too.
Before the system existed, women and children carried the daily burden of fetching water: walking to the river, digging a hole, and laboriously collecting water from it. Now, they can simply fill their jerry cans nearby. The time this saves can be spent on something else instead, such as education or working the land.
Like any infrastructure in a remote, dry landscape, the system occasionally needs repair and reinforcement. Most recently, the pipe carrying water from the river had to be restored — an opportunity Africa Wood Grow used to also strengthen the water well itself, making the system more resilient for years to come.
The water system was made possible by donations given specifically for this purpose, and it remains a cornerstone of the community hub: a clear example of how restoring the landscape and improving daily life for local communities go hand in hand.
Water kiosk
