Rainwater is cleaner than bottled water!

The work is working!

February 2008

One of the most rewarding parts of this last trip was the ability to test our rain catchment system in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania. Thanks to Dr. Roth and his team at Micrology Labs, we were able to test the water quality on our own. The spots you see in the test results are fecal coliforms and other bacteria present in the water. Here are two samples of the water quality test results from a government supplied pipe and the stream water.

            The Mallala Stream                       The Kikwe Pipe

Here are two samples of rain water collected from Save the Rain projects. It soooooo exciting!!

Rainwater collected from Save the Rain projects in Namballa and Karanguy done over the last 2 years.

You can't argue with the science!!

Changing Lives

- one drop at a time.

To all of you who helped Save the Rain, pat yourself on the back.

Here is how you have helped to change lives.

On this last trip, we went to evaluate past projects. When we arrived at the school, it was glowing with a garden, with flowers, but best of all with healthy, hydrated children.

At the Namballa Primary School, we met with teachers and interviewed students about how their life had changed since the rain water harvesting system was built.

The community talked about the drop in child mortality, the memory of hunger that was no more, the overall health improvement of the students, of the increase in enrollment in girls at the school, the presence of a beautiful garden that feeds the school and the presence of time that had never been available before.

What left us the most in awe was this:

The Namballa Primary School's oldest students are in a grade called Standard 7. Last year, before having access to clean water, of 85 children in this grade, only 11 of them went on to secondary school. This year, because of the clean water available to them, of 76 children in standard 7, 75 of them will be attending secondary school next year.

Statistic show that with a secondary school education, earning potential increases by 3 to 4 times, girls don't become pregnant as early, HIV/ AIDS is decreased and a healthier and fuller life is assured.

Congratulations Save the Rain supporters, great job!!