Mohammed Hammie

Through End Water Poverty's #ClaimYourWaterRights campaign, Media for Community Empowerment has been broadcasting a series of Sauti Yangu ("My Voice") election specials to remind politicians that it is the government's responsibility to guarantee people's human rights to safe water and sanitation ahead of Tanzania's presidential election on 28 October.

Between 13 February and 20 March, Media for Community Empowerment (MACS) aired #ClaimYourWaterRights radio shows in Morogoro and Zanzibar, Tanzania. MACS' work is part of End Water Poverty's international mobilisation campaign, which aims to awaken people to the injustice of water shortages and spur them to claim their human rights to safe water and sanitation.

From 30 June to 1 July, Media for Community Empowerment delivered media training to staff at Tanzania League of the Blind (TLB) in Morogoro. TLB is a registered non-governmental organisation committed to improving quality of life for people with visual impairment in Tanzania through lobbying, research, education, awareness raising, vocational training and economic empowerment.

Tanzania’s Ministry of Water has pledged 500 million USD to improve more than 600,000 people’s access to safe water in Korogwe, Muheza, Handeni, and Pangani districts.

Photos: Media for Community Empowerment

According to WHO/UNICEF, only 57% of Tanzania’s 57 million population have access to basic water services, while only 25% have access to safely managed sanitation. In rural communities, water shortages are acute. This forces people - particularly women - to spend a significant amount of time traveling long distances in search of water.