Philadelphia-Serengeti Alliance

Water development is fundamental to life, so it is the main focus of our efforts. Women and girls in Tanzania bear a great burden due to the scarcity of clean, safe drinking water. They are deprived of education, largely because their time is taken up by the laborious task of carrying water from rivers and streams, which can take about half a day. What water there is often carries dangerous microorganisms, and while fetching it women may be victims of attack by men or by wild animals. Our goal is to develop water resources — to improve public health and to free women and girls to successfully pursue education and contribute more effectively to their communities.

Working with our organization, members of the Parliament of Tanzania proposed a project to establish 90 wells in the districts of Serengeti, Rorya, and Busega. We have built our first three new wells, and are also currently working on repair of some of the many other wells that over the years have malfunctioned due to neglect. We are building a network of reliable contacts in the three districts, and working to actively involve village communities to ensure lasting success. In the United States, we have been gathering financial, technical, and other support to help make it happen. We hope to expand beyond water projects to include specific education initiatives in the near future, as well.

The Philadelphia-Serengeti Alliance  grew out of the vision of Margareth Awiti, a Tanzanian immigrant and  nurse living in Philadelphia. In 2010 Margareth reached out to her  friends, including members of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in  Philadelphia. She asked if they would help her to form a partnership to help the people in and around Serengeti. The Philadelphia-Serengeti Alliance was officially established as a nonprofit organization in 2012.  We, the members of PSA, have been fortunate to work with and come to  know the people of Tanzania — and we hope you will join us in our  efforts.