For a very long time, Ravaoarisoa Vololoniaina, a resident of Atokana in the Commune of Ambavahaditokana, Madagascar, faced daily struggles accessing clean water.
“Every day, I had to fetch water from a well using a rope at least 4-5 times because I have a big household,” she recalls.
The well water was their only source, but it posed significant challenges, especially during the rainy season.
“When it rained, our area would flood, making it difficult to access the wells. Worse, the dirty water and sewage would mix in the well, contaminating our water and making it unsafe for my family to drink. I constantly feared for the increasing risk of waterborne diseases among my family members,” she explains.
However, a few months ago, WSUP and JIRAMA approached Vololoniaina’s community with a solution. They proposed a joint water connection for her family and neighbouring households.
“The team from WSUP and JIRAMA suggested we have a shared water connection. We sat down with my neighbours and discussed how we would manage the water connection peacefully and collaboratively. We even voted on who would keep the water consumption records for each family to calculate the monthly payment to JIRAMA,” Vololoniaina says.
This community-driven approach ensured that everyone was on board and that responsibilities were clear. The collaborative spirit created a sense of ownership and mutual support among the families.
Today, Vololoniaina’s household shares a water connection with nine other families, totalling 63 people.
“We now pay JIRAMA 15,000 ariary for a 20-litre jerrican of water at the end of each month. Because we share this cost among ten families, the water connection is affordable while offering us convenience and assurance of having clean water readily available,” Vololoniaina explains.
“We no longer worry about accessing clean water during the rains. We have more time to focus on other important activities since we do not spend hours fetching water. Furthermore, the water connection has strengthened our friendships and community spirit,” she concludes.