During our first year of operation, 2014, we were able to fundraise $8000 CAD to bring an accessible gravity-fed water system to a community named Sadaguan, Nepal. This was made possible through our partner organization, Tamakoshi Sewa Samiti (TSS), a nonprofit organization based in Ramechhap, Nepal.
Through this unique opportunity, villagers were able to learn and help in the building of their own water system, giving them the opportunity to take ownership and pride in their own work. Similar to the United Nation's Work For Food Program, we believe it is necessary for villagers to contribute to the bettering of their own sanitation causes as all accomplishments come from hard work. By working on the project themselves, they also gain invaluable skills needed for future renovation.
The user families have contributed about 35% in voluntary labor for the transportation of non-local construction materials, the collection of local materials (stone, sand), the making of aggregates from stones, trench digging, pipeline burying, as well as unyielding support for the construction activities. This system cut back the distance, time and risks that families would have had to encounter in order to access clean water. The system was completed in June 2014 with a water reservoir, a network of underground pipes, and five taps around the community. There are 22 families in the community giving a total population of 137 people. The pipe length runs for a total of 1,850 meters.
