Mkula Village

Mkula was our first well in the Busega district.

Mkula is a model of what is really possible when a community is well-organized and dedicated to making such a project work. Our visit with the community and water committee about six months after constructing the well revealed a great deal of good news and valuable insight for other projects. The water committee informed us that over 4,000 people were benefiting from the well on a daily basis, which was a much higher number than was originally planned. This was great news in the sense that the well had a huge impact on the community, but it also presented a challenge because such a well was not designed to handle this volume.

To ensure the well would not be overwhelmed, we held an impromptu fundraiser with the community towards the repair of a local well that had been abandoned. Both Margareth and Brett, PSA President and Vice President, respectively, committed their own personal funds to match the contributions from locals. With the help of village leaders, over 1.5 million Tanzanian shillings — or approximately $1,500 USD at that time — was raised in a single day. This allowed the village to supplement our original well with the secondary repaired well to maintain water availability.

In addition to local support and enthusiasm, the water committee has helped to train other committees on best practices for managing funds, creating local projects to provide micro loans and grow crops, and to establish proper maintenance methods. This community continues to show what is possible.

Above: Community members visit the well just before our meeting with the water committee.

Below: A member of the community speaks during the fundraiser regarding the donation of a cow to raise money for the secondary well.