In Chad, access to water is more than a matter of survival: it is the essential engine for agroecology and the primary pillar of women’s empowerment. SWISSAID supports rural communities in building wells—to bring about sustainable change in their daily lives.
Facts
Aims
The goal of the project is to sustainably improve the quality of life for residents of 120 villages by ensuring their safe access to drinking water and improving hygiene through basic sanitation facilities. This will be achieved through activities such as:
- Construction of 120 new wells in the three provinces and rehabilitation of 100 existing wells
- Awareness and education campaigns aimed at improving hygiene in urban areas
- Implementation of the “Blue Schools” program in ten schools in the municipalities involved in the project, construction of latrine blocks, and instruction on hygiene practices, agroecological vegetable gardening, and healthy eating
- Implementation of an ecological wastewater treatment system
- Creation, establishment, and training of water and hygiene committees
The project is financially supported by the SDC.
In southern Chad, water is a rare commodity. Today, less than half of the population has safe access to drinking water. Despite government efforts to build hydraulic infrastructure, rural areas—home to the majority of farming families—continue to suffer from a
The project also incorporates the “Blue Schools” approach in twenty schools. In a Blue School, students have access to safe drinking water and sanitary latrines, and they learn and practice essential hygiene practices. In addition, the children help create agroecological school gardens and are educated about waste sorting.
Far from being confined to the school grounds, this knowledge ultimately benefits the entire community, which now looks to the future with greater peace of mind:
“Now that we have water in the village, I can focus on income-generating activities,” explains Marie Motomadi with a smile.
Drinking Water: A Daily Battle for Rural Families
In the village of Mahim, Marie Motomadi embodies this reality. Like thousands of other women and young girls, she had long spent up to six hours a day collecting water. This stolen time is a major barrier to development: it prevents girls from attending school and deprives women of any opportunity to engage in income-generating activities.
To save themselves from miles of walking during the rainy season, Marie used to collect water directly from rooftops. A practice with dire consequences:
“We had many health problems,” she explains.
Salomon Djekorgee Dainyoo/Fairpicture
Marie Motomadi, 27, knows all too well what it’s like to face water shortages. To avoid having to walk for miles during the rainy season, she used to collect the precious liquid from the roofs of houses.
Breaking the Cycle of Waterborne Diseases
The lack of access to clean water is one of the leading causes of mortality in Chad. Waterborne diseases—such as cholera, dysentery, or typhoid fever—kill 19,000 people a year, including 16,000 children. This scourge is further compounded by a deficiency in sanitation infrastructure and a critical need for hygiene awareness.
SWISSAID, working with local partners, is taking long-term action to reverse this trend. This includes the construction and rehabilitation of wells and the establishment of water management committees.
In Kakerte, Rachel Ngomadi, chair of the village water management committee, notes the tangible benefits of the project: “Before, we had to walk 3 to 4 kilometers to fetch drinking water. Thanks to the borehole, we no longer have to do that. And since we stopped drinking water from traditional wells, we’ve been getting sick less and less often.”
Salomon Djekorgee Dainyoo/Fairpicture
Clean water for all people
Agroecology and "Blue Schools": Cultivating Resilience
The project also incorporates the “Blue Schools” approach in twenty schools. In a Blue School, students have access to safe drinking water and sanitary latrines, and they learn and adopt essential hygiene habits. In addition, the children help create agroecological school gardens and are educated about waste sorting.
Far from being confined to the school grounds, this knowledge ultimately benefits the entire community, which now looks to the future with greater peace of mind:
“Now that we have water in the village, I can focus on income-generating activities,” explains Marie Motomadi with a smile.
Salomon Djekorgee Dainyoo/Fairpicture
The “Blue Schools” concept was developed in 2007 in the Global South. The Swiss Consortium for Water and Sanitation, which brings together eight Swiss NGOs including SWISSAID, has refined this concept. In a “Blue School,” students have access to safe drinking water, use well-maintained latrines, practice good hygiene, engage in sustainable vegetable gardening, and participate in waste collection and sorting. “Blue Schools” encourage students to become aware of their health and their environment and to commit to bringing about change within their communities.
