What happens when government leadership and nonprofit innovation join forces? In Tanzania’s Shinyanga District, the answer is already visible on the ground. Through a strategic matching fund partnership between Water for Good and Tanzania’s Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASA), the Imesela–Bukene Lake Victoria Water Supply Project is delivering reliable water infrastructure to underserved communities by connecting villages to Lake Victoria, one of the region’s most dependable sources.
This collaboration began when technical reviews revealed that the initial project budget alone could not support the best possible system design. Rather than reducing the project’s impact, Water for Good and RUWASA chose to combine their resources and expertise.
“This partnership enables us to multiply impact while strengthening local ownership,” said Devocatus Kamara, Water for Good’s Tanzania Country Director. “It demonstrates how aligned partnerships can accelerate access to safe water and create systems communities can depend on for decades.”
Progress is moving quickly across the district:
- In Bukene Ward: All planned infrastructure is now complete, including the solar-powered booster station, storage tanks, pipeline networks, and 32 community water points. The team is currently awaiting a permit from the Tanzania Railway Authorities to install the pipeline across the railway line. This is the essential final step to connect the water source to the Masekelo storage tanks. Once approved, the system will be ready to deliver water to the surrounding communities.]
- In Imesela Ward: Development includes a 300 cubic meter uphill storage tank. A new offtake point, over 52 kilometers of pipeline, and 41 community and institutional water points will be rolled out in the coming phase starting this January 2026.
Clear role-sharing has been the key to making this work. Water for Good has led the construction of solar-powered pumping systems, major storage infrastructure, and primary pipeline networks. RUWASA has supported the construction of the main pipeline from the water source to the storage tank, as well as water point construction and distribution connections between villages. The RUWASA Shinyanga District Water Engineer emphasized that this joint approach strengthens government-led service delivery while ensuring technical quality and long-term sustainability.
For families in Bukene and Imesela, the impact is transformational. Reliable access to clean water closer to home means healthier children, less time spent collecting water, improved school attendance, and stronger livelihoods. For partners around the world, this project offers a clear model: collaboration works. Water for Good continues to invite governments, donors, and implementing partners to join this matching fund approach because when organizations invest together, clean water reaches farther and lasts longer.
