World Vision Switzerland cooperates with KATADYN to promote the special project "Providing Safe Drinking Water to Vaasa".

World Vision Switzerland recently launched the special project "Safe Drinking Water for Vaasa". We are proud to support this project with our KATADYN emergency filter Rapidyn .

project:	Water for Wasa
customer:	World Vision Switzerland
product:	Katadyn Rapidyn DIY Filter Kit
area:	Wasa

Project goals

Providing sustainable and safe water supplies to poor, under-resourced communities and school children.

community water needs

The project covers the two communities of Wasa and Lumuli and includes a total of 11 villages (Usengelindete, Mahanzi, Ufyambe, Wasa, Ikungwe, Ihomasa, Ulata, Lumuli, Itengulinyi, Isupilo and Muwimbi), with 11 primary schools and 2 middle school.

Wasa's community does not have a reliable source of clean, safe drinking water. Children and their parents depend on water from rivers, creeks and dams. However, the water from these sources often contains contaminants and is unsuitable for domestic uses such as drinking and cooking. As a result, many children and other community members often suffer from stomach ailments, which in turn affects children’s school attendance and academic performance.

Joyce, a primary school student, said: "The contaminated water we have to drink often causes diarrhoea, and because we are sick, we go to school late or don't go to school at all. Even when I go to school, I can't concentrate because my stomach hurts."

solution

To improve community access to clean water, 1,626 sets of KATADYN Emergency Rapidyn Filters were distributed to all affected schools and homes. The campaign is being delivered in partnership with Katadyn Group, Merry Water, village community leaders and Iringa District Council. Katadyn Products Inc. of Switzerland donated 600 water filtration systems. Katadyn Group’s local distribution partner Merry Water provided the barrels needed to filter and store the purified water. Sourcing these barrels from local partners enhances local value creation and facilitates the transfer of technology and knowledge.

In partnership with Merry Water, on-site training was conducted for 15 environmental health teachers and a district environmental officer. These trainings cover the commissioning, use, cleaning and maintenance of water filtration systems. Each school is equipped with 10 KATADYN emergency filter Rapidyn devices. In the first phase of the project, results are already being seen, as children are able to focus on lessons for a full eight hours and have access to clean, contamination-free drinking water.

Now, the project has directly benefited 11 primary schools, 2 middle schools, 8 health institutions and 1,500 families. All partners have made it clear that they will continue to develop this joint project.

Implementation steps

The project covers 11 villages, 1,500 families, 8 health stations (each equipped with 2 sets of water filtration equipment) and 11 schools (each school equipped with 10 sets of water filtration equipment):

Raise awareness among community members of the importance of clean and safe water to health
Training Water Board members on various safe water methods
Distribute water filtration equipment kits, including a Katadyn Rapidyn water filter, two stacked buckets with appropriate holes drilled, and a faucet assembly
Training on how to use a water filtration equipment kit
Established multiple student health clubs that work with their teachers to maintain the sustainability of learned water safety practices

KATADYN emergency filter Rapidyn

KATADYN Emergency Filter Rapidyn 's ceramic filter removes bacteria, protozoa, sediment and particles larger than 0.2 microns without the use of chemicals. However, it does not remove important minerals. Depending on the water quality, the ceramic filter element can be easily cleaned and reused for up to 20,000 liters. For a family of 5, this means the water filter can continue to purify water for over 3 years. Its capacity can reach 4 liters per hour. The size of the two buckets can be adjusted according to the number of users. It is important that the barrel has an inner diameter of at least 27cm and is made of food-grade materials. Utilizing gravity, no pump or faucet connection required. Faucets at the water outlet prevent dirty hands from contaminating treated water. This water filter meets the World Health Organization's "high protection" requirements against bacteria and protozoa in household water treatment standards.

About World Vision Switzerland

World Vision Switzerland is a foundation dedicated to enabling children around the world to live safely, free from hunger, poverty, and the threat of violence. The foundation also provides children with educational opportunities and hope for a self-determined future. As an independent partner of the international child aid organization World Vision, World Vision Switzerland carries out independent development projects and is funded through donations from Switzerland. By enabling target communities to become self-reliant, World Vision Switzerland supports children, families and their environment in long-term development projects that address poverty and injustice – regardless of race, religion, nationality and gender. In partnership with the global World Vision network, World Vision Switzerland also provides emergency and disaster relief in crisis areas and actively promotes children's rights worldwide.