On Monday July 23rd, Safe Water Ceramics of East Africa (SWCEA) in collaboration with the Association of Water Technologies (AWT), donated five ceramic water filters to the Rotary Club of Arusha-Mount Meru which recently, as part of their charity program, adopted a village in Tanzania.

The adopted village will benefit from the ceramic water filters by receiving safe drinking water. The Rotary Club of Arusha-Mount Meru greatly appreciated our donation and gave Mesiaki Kimeirei a Certificate of Appreciation in that regard.

SWCEA in collaboration with AWT will donate more filters to the community in orphanages, school, hospitals and clinics.

We are happy to announce that Mr Robert Francu, Managing Director of Kananga Safaris, a premium safari company that has offices in Spain, Tanzania and Kenya (www.kananga.com), did Safe Water Ceramics of East Africa a favor by receiving an order of 1kg of colloidal silver at his office in Spain and bringing it to SWCEA in Arusha.

At SWCEA, we make our ceramic water filters from all local materials except for the colloidal silver which we order from a trustworthy source in Spain in order to ensure the best quality. However, this precious component can be lost or delayed in the mail and we wanted someone from Spain to bring it to us directly to save time and the cost of mail delivery. Mr Robert Francu gladly took the responsibility of bringing the colloidal silver to us (in the white plastic bottle). Thanks to him, we can continue producing about 300 filters with it.

If you are ever in Tanzania, we would encourage you to visit this beautiful land, including the generous safari company Kananga (www.kananga.com) or others.

We are glad to let you know that SWCEA has a new look! Over the years, our factory and shop esthetic was quite basic but as we are coming into a new phase in this second part of the year 2012, we decided to invest a bit in our looks.

Our factory, and shop have now accommodated a small office beside it to be occupied by the General Manager.

We are also more visible from the street by potential clients and visitors due to a newly painted roof in blue, where our initials SWCEA have been painted in big white letters.

Please visit our contact page, under Directions from Arusha to see a picture of our newly painted roof and factory facade.

You are welcome to visit our factory at any time by first getting an appointment via email at: info@swcea.org or by calling +255758937683.

KARIBUNI WOTE (Welcome all in swahili)

It is a bitter sweet time for us as we come to the end of our time in Tanzania. SWCEA has come a long way in the past year. There have been many, many ups and downs as we have tried to grow the business and the road ahead will be no less easy. Finally, I believe we have come to a point where we can say that we have a strengthened filter, a good flow rate and a more consistent firing range.

SWCEA will now be able to move ahead with a solid product, and a new manager who will bring strong business and marketing skills to SWCEA. We hope that the coming year will show positive gain and vastly increased sales with her expertise.

Our experience here in Tanzania has been priceless. We have learned much from our Tanzanian friends about the value of community and family. Faith in God is strong here and it is the glue which holds everything together.

My husband Mike has contributed much to the SWCEA project, donating time and vehicle use to get filters out to teachers. He has enjoyed working closely with Stella, practicing his Swahili during the long road hours. He and Stella are fast friends. My son Izac has enjoyed immensely the camaraderie of his Tanzanian friends who have included him in play and conversation without hesitation. It has been an immensely valuable and unforgettable childhood experience for him. For myself, as a potter, I have been stretched and strengthened by this experience. My connection with Kim will never be forgotten as we faced the production hurdles together. It has been a pleasure to work with this immensely charming and thoughtful man.

My dream of returning to East Africa to do meaningful development work has come to pass. I believe in the Ceramic Water Filter as a means for safe water and I have been very happy to have thrown myself into this project body and soul.

Thank you SWAN, SWCEA, Tracy, Kim, Stella and all the wonderful Ngulelo friends we have been so happy to have shared a year with.  Best of luck to you SWCEA – May you grow and continue to provide Safe Water to those in need.

African Roots Foundation (ARF) decided to partner with Safe Water Ceramics of East Africa (SWCEA) after meeting at the annual 2012 KARIBU trade fair in Arusha. ARF is very excited about the SWCEA  water filters that are currently making their way into homes and rural areas of East Africa. ARF feels that these water filters will be a great benefit to the local community where their main efforts are concentrated in assisting with sustainable daily living improvements. ARF even designed new stands to hold the buckets firmly and safely when located at a Masai boma. The SWCEA filters can be donated through Bush2Beach or other visiting clients that come to spend a night at the eco friendly Isoitok Camp set in the heart of Maasai lands overlooking Lake Manyara and The Great Rift Valley – further more if you are a client who visited the Maasai of Esilalei in the past and want to donate from afar then please touch base with us though ARF or B2B email.

Safe Water Ceramics of East Africa was pleased to attend the Karibu Trade and Tourism Fair from 8^th June to 10^thJune 2012.  Stella and Mesiaki Kimerei attended all 3 days of the event and were present to explain and demonstrate how the filter works both in English and Kiswahili.

We were at stand W11 and received much interest in our ceramic water filters.  Many people purchased our filters for their home use and/or to give as a gift to local families that are boiling water right now as a means to get safe drinking water.

Special thanks to Rob Barbour, manager of Afrika Safaris ( www.afrikaafrikasafaris.com), who purchased two filters to be used at his campsite – they are environmentally friendly and ecological as they promote sustainable safaris.

Also special thanks to Chris Pilley, director of B2B Bush and Beach Safaris, who purchased four filters to donate as part of his charity program (www.africarootsfoundation.org).

The Karibu Fair is an important event in the town of Arusha, and happens once a year around the same month. Many exhibitors and participants attended. Please use our contact information on our website www.swcea.org if you are interested in purchasing our ceramic water filters or to donate to our cause.

Greetings from Tanzania Operations –

From Leslie – We arrived in Tanzania to a wonderful welcome from the Kimieri family which left me speechless. My husband Mike, my son Izac and I were all given hugs of welcome, and a huge bouquet of flowers each. The welcoming committee was so large as to make us wonder how we were all going to fit into the rented van to get back to Arusha. We managed to squeeze in and make the hour trip back to Ngulelo, Arusha and the start our life here in Tanzania.

Upon entering the village of Ngulelo we were immediately aware of how the local people live. We drove through a market on our way to our house. Women everywhere sit behind piles of vegetables, clothes, shoes, charcoal, and household goods. Men sit behind similar piles, or are fabricating metal gates, minding stores, or generally hanging around. Huge numbers of children are everywhere and the twenty-something crowd is highly represented. After settling into our house and overcoming jet lag, we jumped at the chance to really explore our neighborhood.

Right away, it was easy to see the need for safe water. The methods of acquiring water locally are from city tap water (unreliable because of breaks in the water line allowing contamination), streams, ditches, and gutters. Gutters are filled with garbage including, coincidentally, an inordinate amount of crushed and flattened disposable plastic water bottles. Many people here suffer from diarrhea disease on a regular basis, not to mention typhoid and malaria. Scores of school and work days are lost due to stomach problems and diarrhea and the aches, pains and fever caused by malaria. Most people boil their water to clean it as they have done historically for a long time. However, boiling uses a lot of charcoal and requires a lot of time. If boiling is not done properly, the results can be less than adequate for safe drinking water.

Some people of the middle-class buy their water in large containers. The debris of plastic bottles is part of the landscape here. Empty bottles are seen on every roadside, every gutter, and every footpath. Most of these bottles are half-liter or full-liter size. The water bought for home use comes in 15 liter bottles. These bottles can be recycled if the effort is made, but mostly they are wasted. There is very little evidence of recycling although I have heard of some efforts.

At Safe Water Ceramics of East Africawe are producing silver infused ceramic water filters for safe water. We are working hard to market the filters locally, to non-government organizations (NGO’s) and other groups. The water filter is a new technology for the people of Tanzania and it takes time to get this method of water purification accepted by the local population. The cost of the filter is high for the local population, considering their yearly income. But with the proper education on filter benefits and use, I believe many individuals will come to understand that the long-lasting and very effective ceramic water filter will be extremely cost effective and will be the method of choice for obtaining safe water.

My job at Safe Water Ceramics of East Africa is exciting and challenging every day. Mesiaki (Kim) is a wonderful partner to work with as we try to break down the barriers of production and marketing. I have learned huge amounts from the short time I have been here and feel very positive about SWCEA growing its business over the years. My family and I have been completely accepted into the Kimieri clan, as members of the family. This experience is invaluable and a joy to be a part of every day.