Water: it’s something you don’t think about too much about unless you don’t have enough of it. In Burundi, one of the world’s five poorest countries, the lack of potable water is a major factor in widespread illness and even death.
The Rainforest Alliance is working with the Ijenda and Rwegura tea factories in northwest Burundi to improve water, sanitation and hygiene standards for its 25,000 smallholder tea farmers. The WASH protocols, as they are known, include the provision of clean and safe drinking water for workers, the construction of toilet and sewage systems that prevent contamination of local waterways, and hygiene protocols to prevent the spread of illness. They are a standard component of Rainforest Alliance training to locals, in addition to worker safety protection, quality improvements and strategies to increase revenues.
“Before the Rainforest Alliance program we were drinking unsafe water located more than one km away,” says tea plucker Jean-Claude Havyrinfura. “Now, each tea block has its own [water] source.”
For years, the two factories used to release waste water from tea processing directly into nearby rivers. After the Rainforest Alliance training, a lagoon filtration system filters solid waste out before the water flows back into local streams and rivers. Another important improvement in a country with such poor water access is the rehabilitation of toilets and washroom facilities in in work and housing areas, where workers now have access to safe drinking water.
“When you visit a Rainforest Alliance certified farmer, you directly see the difference,” says Madaleine Nyandwi, who owns a tea farm near Kibira National Park, a biodiversity hotspot. “The trees, cleanness, agrochemicals and rainwater management – everything has improved. We are feeling better.”
Learn more about the Rainforest Alliance’s work to protect lives, lands and livelihoods around the world.
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