Water Tanks Sustain, Empower Women

Source: Al Jazeera

At a training with the Global Women’s Water Initiative in East Africa, in 2011, 175 Women received training on how to build new water tanks for their communities, and how to tackle water, hygiene and sanitation issues in their neighborhoods. Prior to the tanks, women sustained injuries from carrying extremely heavy water loads over long distances, and were vulnerable to assault on their journey. Now, thanks to the tanks, the amount of time spent fetching water has been reduced from an hour to less than 10 minutes. Nearly three-quarters of the trainees have since become masons trainers and social entrepreneurs, increasing their income and empowering themselves.

To me water is life. Once you have water in the house then other things are solved. The time used to get water is reduced. The reduced time is translated into other development activities. These development activities within the community entirely changes the country … So empowering a woman to me is changing economies. It’s giving power.
-Rose Atieno, social worker and trainee

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