Water tanks, stoves, trees and health
Water is the basis of life. At home or at school, water is needed for drinking, preparing food and keeping clean. Even something as simple as growing a tree – for firewood, perhaps – needs water. In the dry lowlands in northern Tanzania many people live and struggle with the water challenge.
Liana and partners in Tanzania have, since 2006, found that it is possible to help with these problems using simple, effective and locally provided means. The team of builders that was trained in Liana’s initial projects in 2009-2013 is still committed, is expanding and is eager to continue.
We collaborate with rural schools in Northern Tanzania in Mwanga and Rombo districts. Everything is done on a cost sharing basis.
An integrated approach: This is how it works
A water tank of 30,000 liters to capture and store rainwater can provide much of a school’s water needs for several months per year. These months children don’t need to carry water to school.


An efficient, smoke-free stove makes cooking cleaner and the school kitchen smoke-free, uses 50-75% less wood than the traditional three-stone fire, and makes cooking quicker and safer.


School hand washing facilities help with basic hygiene. Posters that explain the importance of hand hygiene in preventing infectious diseases motivate children to wash their hands before eating and after toilet. Children eat by fingers in Tanzania.


Water recycled from hand washing and school kitchen can irrigate a tree nursery and growing trees. School yards are often very eroded with very little vegetation, let alone trees grown for firewood.
One school touchingly named their tree planting project as ‘Liana project’.


Anyone who donates to this activity gets his/her name engraved on the label!
Most of the tanks and stoves have been built by individual donations. Stats4SD has been funding this work continuously for several years, and Sustainable Global Gardens have donated for several schools.
One water tank costs about €1350 for Liana. In addition, the school collects about €170 in cash, and buys or collects sand, gravel, poles (for raising and shaping the roof) and water; and provides accommodation and food for five builders for about 7 days.
A stove costs about €250 for Liana. In addition, the school collects €60 in cash, and buys or collects sand, gravel and water for cement; and accommodates and provides food for the builders (2) for 4-5 days.


