221 wells and counting since September 2021
Who We Are.
In Swahili, this Project is known as Maji Mlangoni ("Water at Your Doorstep"). We are a team of experienced Tanzanian professionals with skills in plumbing, masonry, welding, teaching, solar cooking, water quality testing, and planning. We are committed to serving the poor by providing safe access to clean water from shallow wells (usually 33-70 feet deep). We are an outreach of the Caritas Office of the Catholic Diocese of Moshi, Tanzania, but we help any well owner willing to partner with us, regardless of creed or religion.
A country (Tanzania), and eventually an entire continent, where the fears of drinking water from a contaminated open well or falling in and drowning are extinct.
Our Vision.
What we do.
Retrofit Existing Wells: we do this by covering them with concrete and installing durable plastic hand pumps we make from locally-available materials. Well owners are asked to contribute 2-3 bags of cement, rebar, wire mesh and a hatch cover. The Project, through international donors, provides the technical labor, PVC piping, poly tubing, and the pump. It only takes 2 plumbers, 2 days, and $200 to a transformed well in Tanzania.
Manually Drill New Wells: In certain locations we also manually drill new wells. This usually takes about 2 days.
Project Milestones
September 2021
The pilot experiment launches in the Kilimanjaro Region! A team forms and manually drills one shallow well (27 feet deep) using Water For All International technology. The idea arises to retrofit the scores of existing open wells in the area. One well is retrofitted.
October 2021
With the concept proved, the project officially begins and additional supplies are gathered.
January 2022
The team begins to offer the option of permanent irrigation hoses for retrofitted wells.
September 2022
The brick “rocket stove” pilot experiment begins with one microfinance group shown how to save time spent foraging for firewood for cooking.
October 2022
16 wells are completed in just one month!
February 2023
Use of the inexpensive Portable Microbiological Laboratory developed by Dr. Robert Metcalf is incorporated into standard operating procedures. Now we can take a water sample, incubate it overnight using body heat, and determine not only if E. coli is present but also the number of colony-forming units. [Contaminated wells are treated with chlorine to reduce the risk of waterborne disease.]
February 2023
The 1st solar cooking workshop is offered, showing community leaders how to make and use simple cardboard-and-foil “sun stoves.” People are amazed that the free power of the sun can cook food such as rice, ugali (cornmeal mush), eggs, vegetables, stew, chicken, and even cake.
October 2023
The 1st two-week free workshop is held to train additional teams of masons in our unique well-retrofitting techniques.
February 2024
The second training workshop is held. Eight teams are now working throughout Tanzania.