Drinking water for 16 villages
The project aimed to provide clean drinking water to 16 remote villages in the Amoron’ny Mania region of Madagascar, by means of a water chlorination method called Watalys. The project aimed to reach 1,000 families (over 16,000 indirect beneficiaries). Its objective was to reduce by at least 50% the prevalence of water-related diseases and to ensure that health centres in the region had a safe and constant supply of clean water. Maintenance costs (renewal of small items of equipment) were to be covered by a modest financial contribution paid by the users and also by the Ministry of Health.
Watalys kits were successfully delivered to the sixteen target villages, together with training and awareness campaigns for the villagers carried out by volunteer water committees. The villagers recognised the positive impact of the home-based water purification kits. Each target village also put in place a sustainability plan in the form of a fund to pay for the maintenance or renewal of the water chlorination apparatus (part of the Watalys kit). The project had to be extended by twelve months in order to reinforce training and awareness in all villages. This was to ensure that the behaviour changes persisted over time.
J'aime Madagascar (formerly TIM-SFV) is a Swiss association founded in 2002 in Geneva. It aims to promote access to safe drinking water in rural areas through the provision of an apparatus for water chlorination: Watalys.
See also
Madagascar
Population
25.6 million (2017)
Per Capita Income
USD 400/year (2017)
Poverty rate *
71% (2012)
Literacy rate
72% (2016)
Human Development Index
161st out of 189 countries (2018)
The political instability affecting Madagascar since 2009 has undermined government institutional capacity, economic growth and development efforts. Its education, health, nutrition and water access outcomes are among the poorest in the world. The poverty rate has sharply increased since 2009, with 90% of the population living below the international poverty line. Almost half of all children under five are chronically malnourished. In addition, the country is particularly vulnerable to natural disasters, including cyclones, droughts and floods. It is also faced with the challenge of preserving its unique environment and biodiversity of global significance.
Sources: World Food Program, UNICEF, World Bank, 2016 Human Development Report, Human Development Indices and Indicators (2018 Statistical Update)
*The percentage of the population living below the national poverty line.