The struggle for water
Case Study: Norwegian Church Aid (NCA)
©Fabrice Mbonankira / NCA / Fairpicture
Brief
The province of Kirundo in the north of Burundi used to be the most fertile area of the country thanks to its numerous lakes. In recent years almost half of the water has evaporated due to climate change and groundwater depletion. In addition, many people in the region still have no access to drinking water and rely on water from the lakes - with negative health consequences. To counter these issues, Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) started the “Water for Life” project in which several groundwater wells are drilled and a distribution network with so-called water kiosks is established.
Client
Norwegian Church Aid (NCA)
Visual Creator
Fabrice Mbonankira
Theme
Water Project
Locations
Burundi, Kirundo
Date
July 2021
Macumi Nezia (70) is filling her canisters at a water kiosk.
©Fabrice Mbonankira/NCA/Fairpicture
The pumping wells
The well projects not only have a positive impact on health. They also offer economic opportunities for various people in the communities. Pump operators like Sylvestre Mpawenayo (26) are responsible for operating the systems. The water kiosks in turn are run by independent entrepreneurs like Jean Baptiste Niyonyishu (26) and Alice Mutetiwabo (20). They get 60% of the earnings from the water sales.
Sylvestre Mpawenayo (26), guard and operator of one of the pumping wells in Kubinaro, is turning on the solar powered water pumps. His new job gives him a welcome support for his family and allows him to invest in domestic animals for the household.
©Fabrice Mbonankira / NCA / Fairpicture
Dropping water prices
At the same time, the price of clean drinking water has dropped from an average of 400 Burundi Francs (about 25 US cents) to an average of 75 Burundi Francs (about 6 US cents), which makes it easier for the people to buy clean water.
Fairpicture photographer Fabrice Mbonankira visited the project in July 2021 accompanied by the local NCA project manager. In addition to photography and video footage, he wrote four story outlines to support the communication staff in Norway.
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