L'ASSOCIATION | Elewa Africa

The right to clean drinking water and sanitation is a human right, indispensable for the full enjoyment of the right to life.
(ONU, 2010)

The association

Goals

The association Elewa Africa, created in 2013, aims to provide concrete assistance to rural populations in one of the poorest regions of Tanzania, where no NGO has yet intervened.

In Kiteto District, Lengatei Region, water supply and quality are public health issues. Touched by the precarious situation in which the communities find themselves, the association has provided assistance by helping to improve the living conditions of the local population.

Thanks to the support of members and donors, in agreement with the Tanzanian government, to the active participation of local authorities and communities, 4 major projects have been carried out, enabling populations who were deprived of drinking water to regain access to this essential resource.

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So far, the association has chosen to focus on improving access to drinking water, but is thinking about the possibility, in the future, of intervening in other areas such as healthcare or education. Indeed, these three problems represent a daily problem for the inhabitants of these regions and concrete projects make it possible to improve their quality of life.

The committee

Our committee is made up of 5 volunteers, who work for the smooth running of the Association with great motivation: Francine Bohren, Laure Gillet, Katya Besançon, Krysia Cinelli and Noemi Cinelli.

The committee meets regularly to review, discuss and organize activities in Switzerland and projects in Tanzania.

Activities in Switzerland

The committee of Elewa Africa, in addition to managing the usual administrative tasks related to the proper functioning of the association, regularly organizes activities dedicated to raising the funds necessary for the realization of projects in Tanzania.

More specifically, the committee:

participates in markets and sells Tanzanian and local artcrafts;
organizes events (association party, charity dinners)
participates annually in the Cari-Run charity race (Ollon)
prepares donation request files for foundations, municipalities or companies

The will of the association is that the maximum of the funds raised must be devoted to help the communities. Thus, it constantly strives to limit administrative costs and looks for volunteers to help in the events.

Activities in Tanzania

In order to intervene on the territory, the Tanzanian government requires foreign associations to be recognized and have an official office on the spot. The association is duly registered under the NGO number n° XXXXX and the Tanzanian office is in Kibaya.

The Association's projects are carried out in close collaboration with

RUWASA (Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency), Kiteto District Water Department representative
village authorities
local communities, who are the first beneficiaries and responsible for the sustainability of the projects.

The projects are officially recognized by the Tanzanian government, which has integrated them into its plan to improve access to drinking water, which began in 2012.

Presence on site

In order to monitor projects in Tanzania, the president of the association, Krysia Cinelli, regularly visits the area. She self-finances her trips and only the costs related to on-site activities are reimbursed to her.

These regular visits make it possible to establish contacts with the authorities and the local populations, to listen to their needs, to check the progress of the work and to ensure that the conditions mentioned in the contracts are respected.

One of the fundamental points of work on site is the construction of projects in close collaboration with the communities, so that they are stakeholders, appropriate them and take responsibility for them.

Committee members visiting Tanzania

Other members of the committee traveled to Tanzania and were able to visit the projects carried out, meet the beneficiary communities, immerse themselves in the Maasai and Swahili way of life and visit part of Tanzania.

Summer 2016: Noemi Cinelli's trip

In meeting for the future project in Endapidapoi

At the market

On the Lengatei site

March 2019: Laure Gillet's trip

Visiting the Lesoit gymnasium (4 km from Lengatei)

Inauguration of the Endapidapoi site

From left to right:

Laure Gillet, Thomas Mbambire (member of the Elewa committee in Tanzania), Krysia Cinelli and Fadhili Magogwa (member of the committee in Tanzania and engineers in charge of the projects)