plan 238BioSand Filter and WASH Outreach for Mukono, Jinja and Kampala Communities

Summary

ASD partners with Mukono Women's AIDS Task Force (MWATF), Masese Women' Association (MWA), Katosi Women's Development Trust (KWDT) and Uganda Community Based Association for Child Welfare (UCOBAC) creating BSF projects in Central Uganda

Background

The basic problem in most rural and peri-urban areas in Uganda can be long distances traveled by women and children to access water and also the poor distribution of the wells and springs within villages. Many homes are very far from these water sources making especially the elderly members of communities totally unable to access water. Also, because of the AIDS crisis, a generation of working class has been decreased and many older people, widows and orphaned youth ultimately become the primary caregivers and responsible for the surviving children. Provision of training and financial assistance to women-led households has proven to be a viable way to contribute to improved welfare of families in the Ugandan context.

Location

Kampala, Katosi, Mukono, Jinja, Kampala , Uganda

Focus

Primary Focus: Drinking Water - Schools
Secondary Focus: Capacity Building

People Getting Safe Drinking Water: 5,000

At least 160 households and 10 schools will have Biosand Filters for clean water

School Children Getting Water: 5,000

There are 10 schools with a total of approximately 5000 students

People Getting Sanitation: 0

0 people will be receiving toilets, but all people will be receiving WASH Education

People Getting Other Benefits: 20

5 implementers per organization (MWATF, MWA, KWDT, UCOBAC) will begin to build a micro-business offering the BSF in their communities

Start Date: 2011-01-10

Completion Date: 2011-07-31

Technology Used:

The BioSand Filter is a household point-of-use water treatment that provides up to 200liters of clean water per day, removing 90-100% of biological contaminants. Everyday an average family will have enough clean water for drinking, cooking and cleaning, reducing the risk of water related diseases. In schools, it provides enough drinking and hand-washing water for up to 100 children per filter. It is simple and easy to maintain, even for the children! It is also an entry point into the community to introduce good hygiene and sanitation practices as well as water resource protection and management. The BSF can be made locally by trained citizens using local resources.

The leaders spearheading these 4 projects in 4 different parts of Central Uganda are women. Currently, ASD has been conducting an intensive multi-week training working closely with the women to build their capacity to
- deepen their understanding about the interdependence of WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) and create a vision of improved health and opportunity in their communities by offering the BSF to those in need
- conduct community surveys to collect baseline data
- map resources and conduct needs assessments
- construct, install, maintain and promote the BSF
- design a strategic and business plan to promote and sell/subsidize the BSFs
- conduct WASH Education and Outreach in their communities
- design social marketing campaigns to promote and sell the filters
- run a WASH Education Center and BSF production facility as a small business
- mobilize and/or engage with the local health officials for coordinated outreach

By the time this requested program funding is applied in January, the women will have conducted a 3 month pilot project in their communities installing 10-15 filters in select households and schools to
- assess user satisfaction and challenges
- create demand through social marketing through WASH Education
- refine their business and marketing plan
- establish their production facility
- create a construction/outreach/follow-up schedule
- test the water to ensure BSF effectiveness
- conduct community WASH Education seminars
- identify the most needy householders and schools to implement the next round of BSFs for this funding request

Each women's team will have enough funding to build 50 filters each. 10 will go to schools, and 40 will be implemented in impoverished households, like grandmothers taking care of orphans. The requested program funding would subsidize the filters so the women to make the BSFs available to the most needy. The recipients would offer
- supervised sweat labor for some of the more insignificant tasks
- sliding scale to pay for what they can afford for the filter
- at least 2 family members to attend at least 2 WASH Education seminars

Phases:

1 - (July/Aug) intensive training for the women
2 - 3 month pilot project (Sept-Nov, 2010)
3 - Pilot Project data analyzation
4 - Implementation of 200 filters to schools and most needy (requested funding)

Community Organization:

ASD has vetted and trained each of the 4 organizations included in this grant. They each have had success implementing projects in their communities ranging from Rainwater harvesting, toilets (Ecosan and VIP), ferro cement tanks, house construction, tippy taps for schools etc. The BSF is an added technology to add to their stable of services for their constituents. Each of the organizations are over 5 years old and have strong ties to the communities with long term volunteer focal points who assist in liasioning, mobilizing and sensitizing local citizens.

Government Interaction:

During the current training, ASD facilitates a government engagement workshop that includes partnering with local water sanitation committees, local health officials to conduct water testing with the women. Each of the organizations has various levels of engagement with local government officials. Some of them have deep long term partnerships and others have good relationships based on their contributions to the communities.

Ancillary activities:

Job skills - the women will add BSF construction to their stable of existing services

social marketing strategies - using WASH education to promote the filter

water testing using the Portable Microbiology Lab- using proven water testing methods as indicators for levels of contamination that requires no labs or technicians to conduct

Other Issues:

ASD will be supporting, supervising and managing the oversight and coaching of the women as they role out their respective projects.

Maintenance Revenue:

BSFs require no maintenance, however each BSF installation will require at least 4 visits/year to ensure that the filter is accepted and working well and to conduct water tests.

Also, each organization will conduct a monthly WASH Education seminar for new and potential users

Maintenance Cost: $2,000

Metrics:

Prior art before metrics

Cost: $33,000

PHASE 1 - 3 $15000 - training costs including materials, labor, training fees, workshop costs, pilot project implementation, and PP analyzation

PHASE 4
15000 - $75/filter, includes construction, installation, transport, labor, safe storage, WASH IEC materials and WASH seminars

1000 - Project Management fees

2000 - Portable Microbiology Labs (water testing @ 200/kit)

3000 - community inkind contributions

Co Funding Amount: $15,000

Rotary International to conduct the multi-week BSF Program Implementation Training (currently being conducted) and the 4 pilot projects.

Community Contribution Amount: $2,000

in kind
- training attendance - 3 weeks, 10 people
- venue for training
- subsidized meals for training
- tools

Fund Requested: $18,000

Implementing Organization: A Single Drop, MWATF, KWDT, MWA, UCOBAC

A Single Drop creates social entrepreneurial water service organizations that have the capacity to implement appropriate water/sanitation solutions using environmentally and financially sustainable practices. This model has been recognized internationally as one of the best emerging social entrepreneurial models by Echoing Green, Schwab Foundation and Ernst Young.

Mukono Women’s Aids Task Force (MWATF) is a Women Development Organization Based in Maternity Village, Mukono Town Council in Mukono District. MWATF was established in Oct 27th, 1997 with the views of helping women who are single mothers, needy women and children, people living with HIV /AIDS (PLWHAs), youth, people with disability (PWD), elderly and environment protection. The major aim is to improve and develop the standards of living, spiritually, socially, economically, and culturally.
knowledge, skills and talents they have to start and run project so far embarked on. MWATF builds ferro cement tanks, RWH, cisterns and biodigesters.

Katosi Women Development Trust (KWDT) is a non governmental organization with an aim of improving the general living standards of poor, rural peasant communities of Ntenjeru and Nakisunga sub counties in Mukono District. Evolving out of the success of Katosi Women Fishing & Development Association, KWDT currently networks 13 women groups. The 13 years of existence have enabled KWDT reach out to communities through disadvantaged women. KWDT was awarded the Best Performing NGO Award in Uganda! The KWDT Integrated WATSAN program was initiated in 2002 after a baseline survey that revealed disastrous water and hygiene situation for the fishing community.90% of the fishing community depended on contaminated water of Lake Victoria which was shared between people and animals.75% of the population lacked Latrines, excreta management and hygiene practices were poor. The aim of the program is to increase access to safe clean water, improve sanitation and hygiene through behavioral change so as to reduce prevalence of poor Water, Hygiene and Sanitation Diseases.
Supported by various partners, the Integrated WATSAN program has expanded to include Domestic and community rain water harvesting, Ecological Sanitation Latrine construction, Ventilated Improved Latrine construction, Water source protection, Hygiene and sanitation promotion through hygiene, Demonstration trainings, extension support, school sanitation and hygiene promotion.
These activities are reinforced by Operation and Maintenance trainings, Water user committees and community masons training, Training of Trainers in Hygiene promotion, Child to child approach in hygiene promotion and training of Hand pump mechanics.

The Masese Women's Association was formed in the "Masese" slum area and were experiencing destitute poverty and unemployment. In response to such conditions, citizens, governments, and nongovernmental organizations, in association with the Masese Women's Association, engaged in an effort called the Masese Women's Self Help Projects with the aim of bringing about a change in the way of life for the people in Jinja, Uganda. A Housing and Human Settlement Upgrading Program was created to establish a settlement and credit plan that would enable women to acquire secure land tenure and production materials for housing. The project also developed a community infrastructure for employment, health, and education services.

UCOBAC UCOBAC with other development partners have been working with organised communities of the rural areas in Mityana district, Uganda since 1994. The proposed intervention is just a continuation of UCOBAC work and utilises the experience gained from past work. In all UCOBAC interventions in communities, water issues stand out. Communities always cry out on water issues since "Water IS Life" to everybody!

The basic problem in most rural areas in Uganda can be long distances travelled by women and children to access water and also the poor distribution of the wells and springs withing villages. Many homes are very far from these water sources making especially the elderly members of communities totally unable to access water1 Provision of training and financial assistance to women-led households has proven to be a viable way to contribute to improved welfare of families in the Ugandan context.

UCOBAC UCOBAC was formed after the civial war which had left many children orphaned. UCOBAC mission being to improve the welfare of children through building capacity of child care takers, deals with mothers at grassroots level. The women are trained in different issues e.g. Health (HIV and AIDS, Malaria and TB awareness, prevention and management, home hygiene, food security, child rights, care and protection and protection of water sources, water catch and storage. UCOBAC also implements programs on human rights and good governance, OVC, Capacity Building (Institutional and capacity building of child care takers) and Advocacy and Networking with other NGOs. UCOBAC implemented a water project in Kumi District in Eastern Uganda by protecting fourteen (14) shallow wells and springs for rural communities that were faced with serous water shortages. The local communities fully participated in the implementation of this project by providing local materials like stones, sand, poles etc and also provided labour by them taking part in the manual work involved. Local leaders supported by project and thus even to-day those wells still stand out. They are well maintained and protected by the local leadership.

  • 2 participants | show more

    3 Questions

    Kristen Kosinski of The Samburu Project

    Gemma, Its great that the BSFs can be produced locally with local resources. I have a couple questions about that aspect of the project. First, what is the cost of the production of a BSF? Is it low enough for producers to earn a profit selling BSFs at a market price? The background section of the application identifies the problem of...

    Gemma,
    Its great that the BSFs can be produced locally with local resources. I have a couple questions about that aspect of the project. First, what is the cost of the production of a BSF? Is it low enough for producers to earn a profit selling BSFs at a market price?
    The background section of the application identifies the problem of the the long distances traveled by women and children to access water. Does the project do anything to address this aspect of the problem?
    Finally, could you elaborate on how ASD plans to stimulate demand for BSFs?

    Regards,
    Robert

    • Gemma Bulos of A Single Drop

      Hi Robert thanks so much for your questions! It really is a joy to receive input from other implementers and trainers because it can only make our program stronger and more clear! 1) The average cost of the BSF in the regions in Uganda that we are targeting is an average $75US. This includes materials for the construction, labor, transp...

      Hi Robert

      thanks so much for your questions! It really is a joy to receive input from other implementers and trainers because it can only make our program stronger and more clear!

      1) The average cost of the BSF in the regions in Uganda that we are targeting is an average $75US. This includes materials for the construction, labor, transport, IEC and extra materials for the householder (safe storage containers, educational materials), at least 3 follow-up visits. We calculate the costs as if it were a product on the market because this is a microbusiness and we help the women to conduct themselves like a microbusiness creating costing that reflects actual market value of the product as if were run like a professional small business. Other costs that are included in that price that are not directly benefitting the user are marketing costs (promotional materials, community WASH seminars), production facility rental and utilities, and outreach.

      Because the costs of the filters are more than some of the lower income households can afford, the women's groups can be contracted by local NGOs or international funders to buy the filters at full price (mostly in bulk) or at a price that can make the filters highly subsidized so that the staff can continue to have a livelihood and all the costs are covered for them to continue their business. This is the market that the women's group has identified as being one of their key clients. We did this with one of our other PWX projects in Mozambique. We knew that the price of these filters when considering all the costs incurred by having a micro-business would make the filter's price higher than most of the community can afford, so the group appealed to NGOs and applied for grants that would pay for the actual costs of the filter construction (as opposed to breaking up the line items by materials, labor, utilities, marketing etc and having the funder decide that they would only fund one line item) This is crucial for a business so that they could continue to function, service the most needy as well as those who can afford it, and be able to offer a When we determined this price,

      2) As far as the long distances, 2 of these women's groups have other water technologies that they already offer in their communities. Mostly rainwater harvesting, so their clients have access to alternative water sources already. But for those areas that don't have access to water, these regions, the issue is more that they have access to water but it is highly contaminated

      3) We work with the women to create social marketing strategies to promote the filters. Currently, the women are implementing a pilot program to place 25-35 filters in their current communities in key places like schools, local leaders households, very needy households and other people in the communities who are respected in the community because they will be collecting data and interviewing all of them during the next 3 months to find out what they like, don't like, what matters to them, their priorities. From there, we will help them design a marketing strategy based on the testimonials of the people using the filter, and creating some informational and promotional campaigns that will appeal to what the community wants. Also, they will be conducting water testing throughout the pilot to show the effectiveness of the filter which will add value to the social marketing campaigns and help people to see not only that people like it, but that it really works!

      I hope that's helpful!

      Thanks
      gemma

  • 2 participants | show more

    Project management and reporting

    Rajesh Shah of Blue Planet Network

    Hi Gemma and Mariah, How do you plan to manage this project, esp. on PWX? MWATF and UCOBAC are already members and we hope they complete the project reports for which they have been funded thru PWX. They have started to report on PWX, but we would like them to complete. By having finished reports and uploading photos, they can build the...

    Hi Gemma and Mariah,

    How do you plan to manage this project, esp. on PWX?

    MWATF and UCOBAC are already members and we hope they complete the project reports for which they have been funded thru PWX. They have started to report on PWX, but we would like them to complete. By having finished reports and uploading photos, they can build their history and experience in PWX so that reviewers and others can see what they have done and assess their potential for further work.
    I have invited them to participate in this review so as to, at the least, be aware of the Q&A going on.

    It would be nice to see KWDT and Masese Women's Assoc. also participate by becoming members.

    Knowing that Mariah, and Gemma, make several visits to the women's groups and projects, it would be nice to see her visit reports on all the earlier AWWC project's done. That way, we can count and see how many and which projects got visited and learn from the knowledge shared.

    I would like this 'program' be planned to result in many projects, each of whose main report becomes the responsibility of that particular implementer. Assuming that there are likely to be many different visits, esp. after the pilot, visitor reports should done by all those who visit someone else's project.

    Thanks,
    Rajesh

    • Gemma Bulos of A Single Drop

      Hi Rajesh Currently, we just finished Phase 1 of our project which was the training. Next, the women are going to implement their 3 month pilot project. this funding is supporting the next phase which will begin at the beginning of the year when we will be alongside them to assess the outcomes of the project and help them make their bus...

      Hi Rajesh

      Currently, we just finished Phase 1 of our project which was the training. Next, the women are going to implement their 3 month pilot project.

      this funding is supporting the next phase which will begin at the beginning of the year when we will be alongside them to assess the outcomes of the project and help them make their business plans.

      The reason we applied for this grant including 4 implementers is because none of these groups have any deep experience in the implementation of the BSF. We are managing the program by overseeing, coaching, providing further training so that each women's group can get the experience they need to have a larger more sustainable BSF program.

      Thanks
      gemma

  • 3 participants | show more

    Budget and Photos

    Iskaka Msigwa of Tanzania Mission to the Poor and Disabled (PADI)

    1. Can you attach detailed budget to enable us see how the budget relate with the proposed activities? 2. It is important if we can see few photos showing the actual situation or part of project you are going to solve in the area Thanks Msigwa

    1. Can you attach detailed budget to enable us see how the budget relate with the proposed activities?
    2. It is important if we can see few photos showing the actual situation or part of project you are going to solve in the area
    Thanks
    Msigwa

    • Rajesh Shah of Blue Planet Network

      Yes, please provide a bit more details. E.g. Where is your office now wrt all the activities? Where would the safe storage be? Multiple locations? Or at the office? Photos from your workshops would be great, as well as any photos from the regions. It would be nice to understand the water sources and their quantity throughout the year....

      Yes, please provide a bit more details.

      E.g. Where is your office now wrt all the activities?
      Where would the safe storage be? Multiple locations? Or at the office?

      Photos from your workshops would be great, as well as any photos from the regions.

      It would be nice to understand the water sources and their quantity throughout the year. The application background talks about the long distances women & children walk, and that some elderly cannot do this. This project will not change that problem. Please clarify the population for which the project will solve and for how much of the year.

      Thanks,
      Rajesh

      • Gemma Bulos of A Single Drop

        Hi Msigwa and Rajesh The first phase of our project, the 3-week training just finished last week and the women's groups are regrouping with their teams to start the action steps towards implementing the 3 month pilot program. Rajesh, I'm not sure about your safe storage question. Each of the householders/BSF beneficiaries will receive ...

        Hi Msigwa and Rajesh

        The first phase of our project, the 3-week training just finished last week and the women's groups are regrouping with their teams to start the action steps towards implementing the 3 month pilot program.

        Rajesh, I'm not sure about your safe storage question. Each of the householders/BSF beneficiaries will receive a jerican with a cover that will be their safe storage container.

        The program is in 4 communities and each have different sources ranging from dirty river water, contaminated well water, illegal tapping into municipal systems and lake water.

        Photos to come! And breakdown of the women's costing that they calculated on their own at the training.

        thanks
        gemma

    • Gemma Bulos of A Single Drop

      Hi Msigwa and Rajesh The first phase of our project, the 3-week training just finished last week and the women's groups are regrouping with their teams to start the action steps towards implementing the 3 month pilot program. Rajesh, I'm not sure about your safe storage question. Each of the householders/BSF beneficiaries will receive ...

      Hi Msigwa and Rajesh

      The first phase of our project, the 3-week training just finished last week and the women's groups are regrouping with their teams to start the action steps towards implementing the 3 month pilot program.

      Rajesh, I'm not sure about your safe storage question. Each of the householders/BSF beneficiaries will receive a jerican with a cover that will be their safe storage container.

      The program is in 4 communities and each have different sources ranging from dirty river water, contaminated well water, illegal tapping into municipal systems and lake water.

      Photos to come! And breakdown of the women's costing that they calculated on their own at the training.

      thanks
      gemma

  • 2 participants | show more

    School filters

    Claire Rumpsa of Aqua Clara International

    Gemma, I really like ASD's approach to constructing the filters with local materials and local expertise. ACI has run some pilot programs in Uganda and we appreciate the difference in purchasing power there as compared to Kenya. I think the sliding scale of filter prices is good solution. Just a few questions. When a filter is instal...

    Gemma,
    I really like ASD's approach to constructing the filters with local materials and local expertise. ACI has run some pilot programs in Uganda and we appreciate the difference in purchasing power there as compared to Kenya. I think the sliding scale of filter prices is good solution.

    Just a few questions. When a filter is installed in a school, what protocol does ASD put in place to ensure that the filter is used and maintained properly especially during school holidays? What profit does the filter producing group make from the sale of a filter? How do you see the project continuing should the money to subsidize filters stop?

    Thanks and good luck!
    Claire
    Aqua Clara International

    • Claire Rumpsa of Aqua Clara International

      One more question. Which water testing equipment are you using, and what proportion of the filters will be tested after installation? Claire

      One more question. Which water testing equipment are you using, and what proportion of the filters will be tested after installation?
      Claire

      • Gemma Bulos of A Single Drop

        ASD uses the Portable Microbiology Lab which uses a 10ml Colilert, an ecoli presence absence test alongside a Petrifilm, a 1ml test which quantifies ecoli presence which indicates the level of risk. It requires no local expertise, no expensive labs or equipment or electricity to conduct. The users can test the water at the source, where it...

        ASD uses the Portable Microbiology Lab which uses a 10ml Colilert, an ecoli presence absence test alongside a Petrifilm, a 1ml test which quantifies ecoli presence which indicates the level of risk. It requires no local expertise, no expensive labs or equipment or electricity to conduct. The users can test the water at the source, where it on their body overnight to incubate and find out the next day not only if their water is contaminated, but how much it is contaminated.

        We don't use them to replace traditional tests, but it serves as an affordable and reliable indicator that the community can use themselves to conduct their own testing. It has been an amazing educational tool for us in our work in the Philippines as we are a national repository for the tests there. In Uganda, we will be a repository for the tests starting early next year. There is huge interest by the government and local organizations in Uganda, and UN-Habitat is promoting it all over East Africa, however there still is no streamlined mechanism for distribution, which is why we are going to be a repository and training organization to make sure they are accessible. Our ASD USA office gets them at a reduced price and supplies both the Philippines office and soon the Uganda office.

        I hope that's clear!
        gemma

    • Gemma Bulos of A Single Drop

      ASD uses the Portable Microbiology Lab which uses a 10ml Colilert, an ecoli presence absence test alongside a Petrifilm, a 1ml test which quantifies ecoli presence which indicates the level of risk. It requires no local expertise, no expensive labs or equipment or electricity to conduct. The users can test the water at the source, where it...

      ASD uses the Portable Microbiology Lab which uses a 10ml Colilert, an ecoli presence absence test alongside a Petrifilm, a 1ml test which quantifies ecoli presence which indicates the level of risk. It requires no local expertise, no expensive labs or equipment or electricity to conduct. The users can test the water at the source, where it on their body overnight to incubate and find out the next day not only if their water is contaminated, but how much it is contaminated.

      We don't use them to replace traditional tests, but it serves as an affordable and reliable indicator that the community can use themselves to conduct their own testing. It has been an amazing educational tool for us in our work in the Philippines as we are a national repository for the tests there. In Uganda, we will be a repository for the tests starting early next year. There is huge interest by the government and local organizations in Uganda, and UN-Habitat is promoting it all over East Africa, however there still is no streamlined mechanism for distribution, which is why we are going to be a repository and training organization to make sure they are accessible. Our ASD USA office gets them at a reduced price and supplies both the Philippines office and soon the Uganda office.

      I hope that's clear!
      gemma

    • Gemma Bulos of A Single Drop

      Hi Claire I am always happy to get questions from other BSF implementers! So much value in sharing! 1) School installations - we first conduct a teacher and parent volunteer BSF orientation to get buy in from the teachers and parents. Then we try to identify a team of people who will be in charge. That will usually determine where the f...

      Hi Claire

      I am always happy to get questions from other BSF implementers! So much value in sharing!

      1) School installations - we first conduct a teacher and parent volunteer BSF orientation to get buy in from the teachers and parents. Then we try to identify a team of people who will be in charge. That will usually determine where the filters will be placed. If there are certain teachers who will maintain a filter, then we can place it in their classrooms. Many times, we'll try and find those who live close to the school and can come during holidays and weekends. If there's a school caretaker, they are generally pretty close and also personally benefit from maintaining it since they will have to put water through it everyday.

      2) The profit from the actual costs of the filter and labor will go towards WASH Outreach, marketing and reinvestment back into the women's groups outreach

      3) What's great about these women's groups is that they have other services they offer. This is just adding to their stable of services and expertise and they all have more than one target area that they work in. So there's potential for outreach into neighboring communities and also openness to learn other technologies that they can also offer other than just the filter.

      I hoe that's helpful!
      gemma

  • 4 participants | show more

    Maintenance

    Idriss Kamara of Safer Future Youth Development Project

    Hello, nice to see that you are implementing biosand - we hope to do this in the future. I may be mistaken but I was under the impression that the biosand filter requires regular cleaning of the top layer due to clogging, also if the top layer is cleaned improperly, the biolayer can be trapped in the sand and die off causing a bad odour wh...

    Hello, nice to see that you are implementing biosand - we hope to do this in the future. I may be mistaken but I was under the impression that the biosand filter requires regular cleaning of the top layer due to clogging, also if the top layer is cleaned improperly, the biolayer can be trapped in the sand and die off causing a bad odour which may affect usage. Do you train the communities on the maintenance of the filter?

    Kind Regards,

    Idriss

    • Gemma Bulos of A Single Drop

      Hello Idriss Thanks for your questions! I hope that someday you'll be able to implement the BSF as well! There are many answers to your questions so I hope this is clear! 1) Daily Maintenance - the daily maintenance of the BSF is very minimal. In general the daily maintenance is simply to clean the spout, keep the area around the filte...

      Hello Idriss

      Thanks for your questions! I hope that someday you'll be able to implement the BSF as well!

      There are many answers to your questions so I hope this is clear!

      1) Daily Maintenance - the daily maintenance of the BSF is very minimal. In general the daily maintenance is simply to clean the spout, keep the area around the filter clean, ensure that the safe storage is clean.

      2) Maintenance due to slow flow rate - after identifying that the flowrate to the filter is slow NOT because of any clog in the piping, then we do a method called "swirl and dump". Basically, it stirs the sand at the top to be suspended in the standing water so that you can empty out that water along with the extra sand to "unclog" the filter mechanism. This timing will vary with every filter based on the turbidity of the user's water source.

      3) Biolayer - the biolayer is actually in the top layer of sand. If the filter has been cleaned "improperly" it may only be because too much sand was removed and there is no longer just 2" of standing water, which is the amount of standing water needed for the biolayer to exist and to ensure the "healthy" maintenance of the biolayer. If there is not enough sand, and the standing water level is more than 2" above the sand, then it will indeed impact the effectiveness of the filter as the biolayer is one of the 4 pathogen removal mechanisms of the filter.

      Proper maintenance is crucial to the peak effectiveness of the filter. The user is oriented to the filter during the installation. In this orientation, they learn about how it works, how to use and maintain it as well as other proper sanitation and hygiene practices that the household needs to employ to ensured ongoing family health.

      Because the BSF is often a very new technology to the community, our team will make sure to conduct several follow-up visits to ensure that the user likes it, to answer any questions, and to check to see if the filter is being used and maintained properly. The first follow-up visit is 2 weeks after installation. The second is about 5 weeks after installation. Other visits will be conducted as needed. The 3rd visit will be in less than 6 months after installation.

      I hope that is helpful!

      Best
      Gemma

    • Pat Klever of Lifewater International

      Idriss, Yes, you are correct about thei importance of biosand filter maintenance. Community training at the household level is required to make sure at least one family member undertands and is committed to proper filter maintenance. However, people are quick to realize the effectiveness of the filters and are impressed with the health...

      Idriss,

      Yes, you are correct about thei importance of biosand filter maintenance. Community training at the household level is required to make sure at least one family member undertands and is committed to proper filter maintenance. However, people are quick to realize the effectiveness of the filters and are impressed with the health improvements filters bring. We have seen much ownership built and pride in learning and completing proper maintenance. The local biosand program coordinator spot-checks filter maintenance continuously into insure proper use and care. (By the way, the proposal currently submitted to PWX for this cycle does not include a Biosand filter component.)

      • Gemma Bulos of A Single Drop

        Hi Pat thanks for your input on the BSF! I'm curious, in your last comment it says "by the way, the proposal currently submitted to PWX for this cycle does not include a Biosand filter component". I hope we were clear in our proposal because there is a BSF component in this program. That is our main focus. Perhaps there was confusion w...

        Hi Pat

        thanks for your input on the BSF! I'm curious, in your last comment it says "by the way, the proposal currently submitted to PWX for this cycle does not include a Biosand filter component".

        I hope we were clear in our proposal because there is a BSF component in this program. That is our main focus. Perhaps there was confusion with our other proposal. But if you are referring to this proposal, maybe you can help us understand where that was not understood that this is specifically a BSF project.

        Thanks!
        gemma

        • Rajesh Shah of Blue Planet Network

          Hi Gemma, I believe Pat was talking about her own (Lifewater's) application where there is no BSF component. Regards, Rajesh

          Hi Gemma,

          I believe Pat was talking about her own (Lifewater's) application where there is no BSF component.

          Regards,
          Rajesh

      • Rajesh Shah of Blue Planet Network

        Hi Gemma, I believe Pat was talking about her own (Lifewater's) application where there is no BSF component. Regards, Rajesh

        Hi Gemma,

        I believe Pat was talking about her own (Lifewater's) application where there is no BSF component.

        Regards,
        Rajesh

    • Gemma Bulos of A Single Drop

      Hi Pat thanks for your input on the BSF! I'm curious, in your last comment it says "by the way, the proposal currently submitted to PWX for this cycle does not include a Biosand filter component". I hope we were clear in our proposal because there is a BSF component in this program. That is our main focus. Perhaps there was confusion w...

      Hi Pat

      thanks for your input on the BSF! I'm curious, in your last comment it says "by the way, the proposal currently submitted to PWX for this cycle does not include a Biosand filter component".

      I hope we were clear in our proposal because there is a BSF component in this program. That is our main focus. Perhaps there was confusion with our other proposal. But if you are referring to this proposal, maybe you can help us understand where that was not understood that this is specifically a BSF project.

      Thanks!
      gemma

      • Rajesh Shah of Blue Planet Network

        Hi Gemma, I believe Pat was talking about her own (Lifewater's) application where there is no BSF component. Regards, Rajesh

        Hi Gemma,

        I believe Pat was talking about her own (Lifewater's) application where there is no BSF component.

        Regards,
        Rajesh

    • Rajesh Shah of Blue Planet Network

      Hi Gemma, I believe Pat was talking about her own (Lifewater's) application where there is no BSF component. Regards, Rajesh

      Hi Gemma,

      I believe Pat was talking about her own (Lifewater's) application where there is no BSF component.

      Regards,
      Rajesh

  • Rating: 8

    review by Safer Future Youth Development Project

    Project is well defined. I especially support the use of a demand driven approach and social marketing as it is impossible for initiatives to be truly sustainable if only based on needs, and not targeting the 'wants' of the customer. Only criticism is the cost of the BSFs (i realise this is a problem with all BSFs) and the reliance on subsidies. In the long term this will need to be addressed.

    Hope the project goes ahead, will be interested in the results.

  • Rating: 7

    review by Aqua Clara International

    This is a well planned proposal which builds upon partnerships with local, established organizations. ASD plans to take a social entrepreneurial approach to the implementation of this project that will work primarily with women in the communities. ASD”s approach of training local people to use local resources for the project will help the project to be sustainable.

    The training and planning stage of the project is substantial with a sound commitment to program monitoring from the outset. The cost of their filters ($75) is out of the reach of many people and the subsidized sliding scale program is probably the only way to make the project viable. The project have identified NGOs and other humanitarian organizations are the main market for the sale of the bio-sand filters, but unfortunately this limits the local sustainability of the project if it is reliant on outside organizations for sale and support. There were some questions raised on the Q&A forum on providing a more detailed budget that have not yet been answered. It would make the proposal stronger if these details were made available.

    200 liters is a good yield of clean water per filter and from experience of implementing biosand filter projects, I agree that they are relatively simple to use and maintain. ASD have also got a strong oversight procedure in place with 4 follow up visits in the first year which should help answer any questions or concerns from the end users. Although this project focuses primarily on bio-sand filters, ASD’s partner organizations have experience in implementing other WASH technology which will makes the project more holistic.

  • Rating: 6

    review by Tanzania Mission to the Poor and Disabled (PADI)

    It has made me difficult to make rating, the project has no detailed budget which could help to relate the planed activies and the budget.

  • Rating: 6

    review by Blue Planet Network

    This is a good appropriate technology project. I hope it succeeds.

    However, earlier experience with the smaller groups has not been apparently success (possibly on execution and definitely on reporting) and thus my reservation.

  • Rating: 7

    review by The Samburu Project

    The strength of this program is that it appropriately matches technology with situation. Biosand Filters are the perfect technology for the program to use.
    There are two areas of the program that are cause for concern. First, demand of the product is based on development and implementation of marketing strategies. I would like to see a more solid base of demand. Second, the program is dependent on continued subsidization to make the filters affordable. This makes the program's continued impact subject to insecurity.
    That being said, it is possible that neither one of these issues becomes a problem in the actual implementation of the project. If things go as planned, the program will have an excellent impact.

  • Rating: 8

    review by Lifewater International

    Uganda seems to be an excellent place to implement BSF with success. People are motivated and interested in maintenance training, and ancilliary trainings such as hygiene, and saniation. I think this project will go a long way towards bringing life and health to 4 areas in Uganda. Wouldn't it be great to arrange a mini-conference with field visits to the various sites using BSFs to share "lessons-learned" between the various implementers!

  • Not Reviewed

    by MWATF

  • Rating: 7

    review by UCOBAC

    This proposal should be considered for funding except it talkes of baseline survey and needs assessment as if they are two different activities. Since A Single Drop is requesting for funding for four organisations, the funds requested for seem smaller and may not make the impact that is anticipated.

    Matilda
    UCOBAC