Global Rainwater Harvesting Collective

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Overview

Launched in 2002, the Global Rainwater Harvesting Collective has the simple aim to provide clean sources of drinking water to school children globally by building on local knowledge, skills and technology in rural communities.

Globally, nearly two billion people lack access to clean water, including one in five children. Each person needs 30 to 50 liters a day for basic needs. The solutions are inexpensive and easily implemented by local communities.

Mission

The Collective helps support the implementation of rooftop rainwater harvesting systems in schools and community centers such as health centers and libraries. Water is stored in underground tanks and retrieved by handpumps at a cost of 2 cents per liter.

Program

Rooftop rainwater harvesting is a traditional approach used for hundreds of years to collect rainwater and store it to provide clean water for daily needs.

Roofs of schools and community buildings are adapted to catch infrequent rainwater and channel it to underground tanks. Traditional knowledge, local materials and community skills are applied in the construction of these tanks by Barefoot architects. Community ownership results in substantial community contribution of labor and materials.

Schools provide an environment for communicating concepts and technologies about water collection and sanitation through the curriculum and, by consequence, through families and communities. Advocating the importance of water collection and sanitation in schools provides an entry point for discussions about wider social issues, including those related to health and energy.

Women play a central role in village and family life, and are responsible for preparing meals, cleaning water and teaching children. In many cases, they may walk long distances to collect water for their families. Giving communities a reliable source of water enables women to engage in income-earning activities. Giving communities a safe source of water improves maternal, childhood and community health and reduces illness.

Impact

Rainwater collected in schools provides safe drinking water for poor children who otherwise walk miles to fetch water. Mothers send their children to school just to collect clean drinking water. Attendance of children in school is increased and the dropout rate is reduced particularly for girls. Availability of fresh water for school toilets also reduces the incidence of water-born diseases.

Rainwater harvesting systems with a capacity of 100,000 liters are enough to meet water and sanitations needs for 500 school children for 6 months at a cost of 2 cents per liter.

Contact

Tilonia 305816
Ajmer District Rajasthan
-, - -
India
Phone: (+91) 1463-288205
www.globalrainwaterharvesting.org
A project of Friends of Tilonia (EIN: 11-3569536)


Basic Needs

Provide Water

One month for a family

Global Rainwater Harvesting Collective

Regular price $250.00

Rainwater harvesting systems with a capacity of 100,000 liters are enough to meet water and sanitations needs for 500 school children for 6 months. Your gift of $250 will provide clean drinking water to one family for more than one month, will help reach the total cost of $10,000 for such a storage system, and will provide trucked water supply during times of drought or...


Provide Water

Water for a school

Global Rainwater Harvesting Collective

Regular price $5,000.00

Rainwater harvesting systems with a capacity of 100,000 liters are enough to meet water and sanitations needs for 500 school children for 6 months. Your gift of $5000 will provide clean drinking water to 50 children in school for more than 3 months, will help reach the total cost of $10,000 for such a storage system, and will provide trucked water supply during times of...


Provide Water

Water for a school

Global Rainwater Harvesting Collective

Regular price $1,000.00

Rainwater harvesting systems with a capacity of 100,000 liters are enough to meet water and sanitations needs for 500 school children for 6 months. Your gift of $1000 will provide clean drinking water to 10 children in school for more than 3 months, will help reach the total cost of $10,000 for such a storage system, and will provide trucked water supply during times of...


Promote Sanitation

Water for a rural school

Global Rainwater Harvesting Collective

Regular price $500.00

Rainwater harvesting systems with a capacity of 100,000 liters are enough to meet water and sanitations needs for 500 school children for 6 months. Your gift of $500 will provide clean drinking water to 1 child in school for more than 1 year, will help reach the total cost of $10,000 for such a storage system, and will provide trucked water supply during times of...


Provide Water

Rooftop system

Global Rainwater Harvesting Collective

Regular price $100.00

Rainwater harvesting systems with a capacity of 100,000 liters are enough to meet water and sanitations needs for 500 school children for 6 months. Your gift of $100 will provide clean drinking water to 1 child in school for 3 months, will help reach the total cost of $10,000 for such a storage system, as well as provide trucked water supply during times of drought...