Before building a pump or washstand, CARE and government coordinators meet with the community. They talk with residents, especially mothers and children, about the relationship between clean water, hygiene and good health. Neighbors choose a project coordinator, a pump caretaker, a treasurer and a secretary. Only the pump caretaker is paid. The others volunteer their time.
Residents pay small monthly fees to use the facilities.
The money pays for the caretaker and maintenance. Because it is money, and with money we cannot play, we cannot joke. CARE and the government pay to build the facilities. Once the pump is formally dedicated, it is handed over to the community, and neither CARE nor the government spends any more money. But the cost of providing clean water to promote better health is not as great an obstacle as changing human behavior, says Chamuanga.