BY THE ARUSHA NEWS REPORTER
The visiting Rotary District Governor Mr Daniel Ddamulira from Uganda has commended the Arusha Rotary Club for implementing a rainwater harvesting project benefiting more than 10,000 pupils and an estimated over 25,000 residents across four villages in Arumeru District, Arusha Region.
Mr Ddamulira is the current District Governor of Rotary International District 9214 for 2026–2027 and covers two East African countries: Uganda and Tanzania.
The project, dubbed “Goodbye Thirst”, has helped ease longstanding water shortages in Kikatiti, Njeku, Chem Chem and Sakila villages.
With a combined rainwater collection and storage capacity of 600,000 litres (150,000 litres per school) and 40 residential systems of 3,500 liters each built by women teams, the initiative has improved access to water for drinking and cooking while promoting better sanitation, hygiene and community well-being.
Mr Ddamulira praised the initiative during an inspection tour on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, describing it as a significant intervention in addressing one of the area’s most pressing challenges.
“I am impressed,” he remarked, commending the Arusha Rotary Club for its commitment to improving children’s welfare and creating safer, healthier learning environments.
Project Co-ordinator Mr Meetal Shah, said the initiative, implemented under Grant 7, formed part of Rotary’s broader commitment to improving access to water, sanitation and hygiene services.
He explained that the project, valued at approximately US$320,000, was being implemented in partnership with the non-governmental organisation “Save the Rain”, with support from Rotary International.
“Our focus is on water, sanitation and hygiene,” Mr Shah told the visiting governor, highlighting the project’s importance in communities where access to reliable water supplies remains a daily challenge.
Chem Chem Primary School Head Teacher Ms Pendo Suleiman, said the benefits were already evident, with improved access to clean water contributing to better school attendance and a marked decline in waterborne illnesses.
She also highlighted the importance of providing pupils with safer drinking water in an area affected by fluoride contamination.
Ms Suleiman explained that fewer pupils were now missing lessons due to illness, allowing them to spend more time in classrooms instead of facing the difficulties associated with obtaining safe water.
The “Save the Rain” Co-ordinator , Mr Joseph Nyarianga, said the rain water was completely safe and has been lab-tested.
Kikatiti Councillor Mr Baraka Kaaya expressed similar appreciation, describing water scarcity as a persistent challenge that had long affected households and institutions in the area.
He said the installation of water storage tanks had brought much-needed relief to communities that previously struggled to access adequate water supplies.
“Water is a lifeline,” Mr Kaaya said, acknowledging the project’s contribution to improving public health and community welfare.
Beyond alleviating water shortages, he added, the initiative demonstrated how partnerships among service organisations, development partners and local communities could deliver practical solutions to everyday challenges.
