Overview
4℃ AQUA PROGRAM is a joint project with a jewelry brand “4℃” and Japan Water Forum.
It aims to bring “beauty” and “inspire” the women of developing countries who face serious water and hygiene problems by supporting water issues.
Since it’s establishment in 2008, projects has been carried out in the Republic of Kiribati, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

▼4℃ official website “Responsibility to Society”▼
http://www.yondoshi.co.jp/eng/csr/contribution/

The details of the 4℃ AQUA PROGRAM 2017 are described below.

Details of the 4℃ AQUA PROGRAM 2017

１）Project Title
Sustainable Safe Drinking Water for Climate Change Adaptation in Bangladesh with awareness of Sanitation & Hygiene

２）Project site
Morrelganj Upazila, Khulna Division, Bagerhat District, Bangladesh

Bangladesh	Khulna Division

３）Beneficiaries
30 households, 163 people

４）Project period
August 2017 to April 2018

５）Local partner
People for Rainwater Bangladesh

６）Problems
Project sites are typical underprivileged and marginalize villages.  People living in these village depend on unsafe wells and ponds as water resources for domestic use as well as for drinking water. Although they have small incomes, households must spend cash on medical supplies and attention for water-borne diseases such as diarrhea and for purchasing water from suppliers in order to meet their needs in the dry season. Fetching water is daily burden for women and the cost of buying water is stressing household economy.

７）Outputs
・Baseline survey
・Workshops and meetings with  stakeholders
・Installing rainwater-harvesting tanks (2 tanks in each) and pipes in 30 households
・Workshops on usage of rainwater and WASH
・Training on operation and maintenance
・Follow-up visit to each household
・Water quality tests

８）Potential Impacts
・Women are released from daily burdens of fetching water.
・The cost for purchasing water and medical cost for water-borne disease can be reduced.
・30 households safe able to access safe drinking water throughout the year.
・Beneficiaries are able to operate and maintain the rainwater harvesting tanks.

Voice from a beneficiary

We are a family of four including my 2 sons, a daughter and me. My husband passed away 2 years ago. I work as a tailor at my house.

My family depends on only my little earning and little help from my brothers. When he was alive, I didn’t carry the drinking water. However after my husband died, I have to fetch drinking water from a pond 600 meter distance from my house by walk. I am spending most of my morning or evening time on fetching water from the pond.

One day 8 months ago, I was fetching the water from the pond at night.
I fall down on the street with a full of water-pitcher, and got pain in my waist and back bone.
But I had no money for my treatment. Her little earning, I spend my little earning on  my children’s education purpose. Therefore, I could not take the treatment. After the accident, I have a pain in my back thus I cannot do my tailoring work regularly.

Now, we are very much happy to get rainwater harvesting tanks.

Beneficiary with the installed rainwater harvesting tanks.

During the project

Baseline survey	Workshop at the Upazila level

Construction of rainwater harvesting tanks	Installing rainwater harvesting tanks and pipes

Training on Operation and maintenance	Follow-up visit to each household

(Reported by Akie Gunji, Manager)