The State of Kerala has the second highest population density among all states in India. Kuttanad is a region located in the coastal low-land of Kerala. Despite progress in human development, Kerala faces an increasing drinkable water scarcity due to pollution. At present, more than 80% of the Kuttanad population uses canals for daily water requirements. The canal water is highly contaminated with fecal matter and agricultural run-off, causing over 20,000 cases of diarrhea a year and frequent water-induced illnesses such as cholera, typhoid, hepatitis and intestinal worms. Meanwhile, public taps are irregular and unreliable, often supplying water for only one hour a week. When the pipes have water, officials at the Kuttanad Water Supply Scheme call and inform the village leaders. The village leaders then pass the message to various families, who rush to the taps and fill their pots until the taps run dry again. As women and children are responsible for collecting water for household consumption, the insecure system imposes a disproportionately large social and health burden on them. Due to poor road conditions, some women have reported spending more than 4 hours every day walking long distances to fetch water, time that could be spent on childcare, generating income, education, or leisure. Taxed physically, economically, and medically by the infrequent and unclean water supply, women and children in the poorest households located in inaccessible regions suffer the most.

Picture the supermarket near your house. Undoubtedly, there is at least one aisle dedicated to different types of water: carbonated, fruit-flavored, vitamin-filled, and distilled. The average American consumes 150 liters of water per day without thinking twice. Now imagine that you, like the women we interviewed in Kuttanad, have to walk four hours daily to get the 10 liters of polluted water that your family needs to survive. Rainwater for Humanity believes that clean water is a basic human right, yet over one billion people worldwide lack access to it on a daily basis. Such an overwhelming number seems impossible to overcome, yet we believe that by starting on a local level we can implement a simple, sustainable, and eco-friendly system that will both improve the medical conditions of Kuttanad and empower its women. In the past months, our team has conducted extensive research and interviews with non-profit organizations in India, women’s self-help groups in Kuttanad and the villagers themselves, becoming familiar with the region and invested in its inhabitants’ welfare. By building a series of rainwater reservoirs and teaching the local women to manage them, we can tackle three problems at once: water conservation, community health, and women’s empowerment. As students fortunate enough to live in a country where we can choose which brand of water to drink, we want to bridge the gap between academics and community development, applying what we learn to a real life setting.

Phase 1 (Dec ‘08 - Jan ‘09) (Complete) - Benchmark technical and executive aspects, visit NGOs - Involve key stakeholders: women’s self-help group, local government, university Phase 2 Ongoing Validation (Jan ‘09 - April ‘09) - Survey household water consumption patterns - Education: set up Kerala-based local committee - Re-engineering of the rainwater harvesting structures Phase 3 Pilot model (April ‘09 - Aug ‘09) - Provide social skills workshops and hands-on construction training to local women - Construct pilot rainwater harvesting tanks on community and household scale - Monitor and test water quality and community maintenance - Set up climate station in the village Phase 4 Scale up (after Aug ‘09) - Revise and promote rainwater harvesting to the entire region By the end of August 2009, 5 pilot rainwater harvesting structures will be constructed in the Achinakom village in Kuttanad. Using existing rooftops and locally available materials, we will construct systems of gutters and storage reservoirs, each of which will provide enough water for an entire household. We will set up a training program to help 10 women self-help group members build and maintain these structures. The pilot model will initiate a self-sustaining process whereby women will increase household time and income while reducing epidemic outbreaks and associated medical costs. Rainwater for Humanity is an entry point to create a sense of self-reliance and environmental health awareness in the community.

Until May 7th, Rainwater for Humanity is collecting donations through Global Giving at http://www.globalgiving.com/pr/2800/proj2719a.html. Go online to donate! If you are interested in participating,contact us at http://rainwater.betterxdesign.org/contact or via our Facebook group "Rainwater for Humanity". If you are a student in Providence, feel free to come to our meetings--just send us your name via the website. If not, we are always open to technical or business advice from anyone with interest and experience. Thanks!