How KISIMA Brought Safe Water to Kiteto and Simanjiro
In Kiteto District, families once queued for hours at unreliable water points. Today, community members fill their buckets at a newly rehabilitated water point, safe water flowing steadily thanks to a strengthened, community-managed system.
The Challenge
Across Kiteto and Simanjiro Districts, rural water schemes were poorly maintained and beyond the technical and financial capacity of local Community-Based Water Supply Organizations (CBWSOs) to manage. Many communities relied on aging infrastructure with no reliable backup when systems broke down, while regional and district authorities lacked the skilled support needed to guide sustainable water management. Sanitation facilities in schools and public spaces were also inadequate, and the absence of climate-resilient technologies left water supply vulnerable to disruption, threatening consistent access to safe drinking water for residents across both districts.
What Changed
The KISIMA Project, led by Istituto Oikos and implemented with Oikos East Africa, RUWASA, UCRT, MAMADO, the University of Bicocca, and Idrodepurazione Srl, set out to strengthen community-based water management and expand access to safe drinking water using sustainable, climate-resilient technologies. The project built new water schemes powered by solar pumps and rehabilitated existing rural systems, reducing dependence on unreliable infrastructure. It strengthened the capacity of regional and district authorities to provide ongoing technical support and improved the operational efficiency of CBWSOs through targeted training, including the establishment of CBWSO clusters managed under local private operators for better long-term sustainability. The project also delivered sanitation improvements in schools and public spaces, extending safe WASH access beyond the household to community and education settings.
The Results
Funded by the Italian Agency for Development and Cooperation (AICS), KISIMA delivered rehabilitated and newly constructed water schemes across Kiteto and Simanjiro Districts, giving communities reliable, solar-powered access to safe water and stronger local capacity to keep it running. CBWSO clusters under private operators now provide more sustainable day-to-day management, backed by strengthened district-level technical support. Schools and public spaces gained improved sanitation facilities, extending the project impact beyond water points alone.
