Ntisaw, Cameroon Water Supply

Ntisaw Village Water Project

Ntisaw Village Water Project

A Partnership between Ntisaw, Cameroon and the EWB‐UIUC Chapter

Ntisaw Project Background

In 1994, villagers in Ntisaw, Cameroon created a village water committee, set

aside project funds, and began construction of a spring water catchment system

to solve their community’s most pressing issue: lack of access to clean drinking

water. However, the project soon stalled and the infrastructure went into

disrepair. In 2007, Ntisaw submitted a request for assistance from the Engineers

Without Borders (EWB) organization. In Fall, 2008, the EWB‐UIUC student

chapter was granted permission to work with the Ntisaw community to bring

clean water to the village.

About Ntisaw, Cameroon

Ntisaw is a communit

y of approximately 1,500 people in rural Cameroon, West Africa. Ntisaw is located in the Ndu

subdivision of the Donga‐Mantung division of the Northwest Province of Cameroon. It is located approximately 40 km northeast of Kumbo, the second largest city in the Northwest Province and 6 km north of Ndu, the largest town and namesake of the subdivision Ntisaw is located in. The villagers in Ntisaw live in mud brick houses with tin or thatch roofs. There are several streams that originate and run throughout the village and animal grazing lands. These streams are the source of water for drinking, cooking, and cleaning. Many villagers often have stomach aches and diarrhea, and water quality testing determined that these streams have fecal contamination.

The Ntisaw & EWB‐UIUC Collaboration

In close coordination with the Ntisaw Village Water Committee and Ntisaw

villagers, a team of engineering students from UIUC is proposing a feasible

design of a water catchment and distribution system for use in Ntisaw. In

May 2009, six UIUC students traveled with their project mentor to conduct a

site assessment in Cameroon and to gather necessary water quality, land

surveying, and health information. The project journey continues...

Your Support

The Ntisaw Village Water Project seeks monetary support for their design and implementation efforts with a

fundraising goal of $50,000 USD. Funds will be directly applied to the purchase of construction materials in‐country.

Funding will also support UIUC student travel to Cameroon to facilitate and manage construction and implementation

of the project. If you or your corporation is willing to partner with Ntisaw and EWB‐UIUC on this effort by helping

support financially or with other resources and expertise, please contact the team (information below). Thank you in

advance for your support and encouragement!

Project Contact Information

Ntisaw Village Water Project (NVWP)

c/o Kenny Long, NVWP Team Lead

Engineers Without Borders

University of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign

ewb [dot] uiuc [dot] ntisaw

gmail [dot] com

General Info

Seth Hanson and Claire Joseph

Lead Contact:

Seth Hanson: shanson3@uiuc.edu
Claire Joseph: cjoseph2@illinois.edu

Project Description:

The Ntisaw, Cameroon Water Supply Project seeks to supply a village of roughly 1,000 people with clean drinking water. This will be accomplished through the construction of a spring box and the rehabilitation of another, along with the construction of necessary storage tanks and distribution system. This will be a long-term project, with several more phases to come and EWB intends to collaborate with the School of Public Works, a civil engineering university in Yaounde. EWB is just beginning the preliminary design and fund raising stages, and hope to travel on an assessment trip in the coming spring. The project is just starting so its a great time to get involved. Come to a meeting, or contact Seth Hanson, shanson3@uiuc.edu or Claire Joseph, cjoseph2@illinois.edu to learn more.