Social

Drinking water cisterns for families

Under the “Water for Lives” programme, which was launched in 2013, cisterns are built in socially disadvantaged communities to give families direct access to water. The works are carried out with the support of volunteers and companies; the local population is involved in the process.

South America

Brazil

Pernambuco

Funding period: 2020-2022

Habitat for Humanity carries out projects around the world around the world around the topic of home – this includes, for example, supplying households with drinking water. In the Brazilian Pernambuco region, 17 cisterns for water storage with a capacity of 16,000 litres were installed with financial support from the Wilo-Foundation. Since then, these cisterns have been providing clean and safe drinking water for 68 people. In August 2022, the last four cisterns were installed by a group of volunteers of Wilo Brasil within five days. Originally, the project was scheduled for 2020, but as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic some of the activities had to be postponed until 2022.

Eine Trinkwasserzisterne vor einem Haus in der brasilianischen Region Pernambuco — Cisterns supply families with drinking water even in the dry summer. Photo: Habitat for Humanity Deutschland e.V., Köln

Freiwillige Helfer von Wilo Brasil stehen mit einer Familie vor dem Rohbau ihres Hauses, eine Schubkarre mit Beton im Vordergrund — Wilo Brasil volunteers support a family. Photo: Habitat for Humanity Deutschland e.V., Köln

All families who participated in the project were regularly facing major difficulties with their water supply. They generally had to get their water from a clay pit, which was used daily to clean the house or even for personal hygiene. In winter, between June and September, many of the clay pits were filled with rainwater, but in summer they often dried out completely, making it difficut for families to fetch water. As a result, they often had to walk for miles to the nearest water point. Thanks to the cisterns, this situation has now improved significantly.

Photo Header: Habitat for Humanity Deutschland e.V., Köln

Our funding partner

Habitat for Humanity Deutschland e.V., Cologne, is part of the international Habitat for Humanity network. The international aid organization Habitat for Humanity was founded in the USA in 1976 and has been a registered non-profit association based in Cologne in Germany since 1998 and part of a global network that advocates for the human right to a safe roof over one's head through home-related aid projects in more than 70 countries worldwide. Through house construction, retrofitting and renovation work, water, sanitation and hygiene measures, disaster relief and preparedness, as well as a wide range of training courses on topics such as construction, health and housing, 59 million have already been able to improve their housing situation since it was founded.

UN Sustainable Development Goals

The UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) forms the global framework for action for socially, economically and ecologically sustainable development. Our funding commitment also supports these sustainability goals. With this project, we are making a contribution to achieving the following SDGs:

What are the SDGs?