Assessment Of Household Water Services Accessibility In Karatu District Tanzania: A Case Of World Vision Dream Village Wash Project

ABSTRACT

The study aimed at assessing household water service accessibility in Karatu District

Tanzania, a case of world vision dream village WASH project. Specifically, the study

wanted to establish the level of access to water services before and after the dream village

WASH project, to assess community involvement in dream village WASH project, and to

determine household water users’ opinions on dream village WASH project. The study

adopted both quantitative and qualitative research approaches, whereby a descriptive

social survey research design was involved. Data were collected from 120 household

water users from three villages (Mbuganyekundu, Jobaj, and Dumbechand) and 10 key

informants. Questionnaire, interview, and FGDs were used in data collection. Inferential

analysis was involved in establishing the relationship between independent (intervention,

community involvement and water users’ opinions) and dependent variables (access to

water services). Qualitative analysis involved content analysis. The findings show that

before the project, people used to walk for more than 4 kilometres to find water and they

used unprotected water sources, but after the project the level of access to water improved

and the distance from households to the water points was reduced. The findings also

indicate that the community was involved in stages of implementing the project and

community had positive opinion on the project. The study also found the statistical

significant level ((p≤0.05) between independent (intervention, community involvement

and water users’ opinions) and dependent variable (access to water services).The study

conclude that, there is improved level of access to water services, community

involvement in water service project and household water users’ opinion in water services

may influence accessibility of water services among the households.