Rwanda is not the dry, desert-like area you might picture when conjuring images of Africa.
The prolonged 9-month rainy season provides 40 to 50 inches of rain a year, and it only takes 5 inches of rain to fill a 10,000-liter cistern.
Rooftop rainwater harvesting connects a cistern to a building roof with suitable materials, including a gutter and pipe system to move the water to the storage tank. This cost-effective solution works well in both rural and urban areas, all that’s needed is the rain. Once filled, cisterns stationed at churches are very convenient, since the main water source is nearby the homes, reducing the time spent traveling to collect water from other sources.
A rainwater harvesting system costs roughly $3,200 for materials and labor, and can remain functional with little upkeep for around 10 years. They fill up roughly 1- 1.5 times per month, providing 500 20-liter cans of water, which is enough to serve roughly 100 families. Many of the churches either give the water away or sell the water for half the market rate. Any proceeds are given to the poorest members of the community for school fees, uniforms, and other unaffordable costs.